Blend
by Laurus Nobilis
Summary: AU, characters from several CLAMP series. Under the threat of war, the world can't depend on a single man's visions anymore. When technology isn't enough to save the planet, only magic can help... INCOMPLETE; WILL NOT BE UPDATED.
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer:** All characters belong to CLAMP.

**Author's Note:** This story started as a challenge response at the LiveJournal community Tsukimine Shrine. The plot wouldn't leave me alone, however, so after much thinking I decided to continue it. Just so you know, the challenge requirements were that it had to be AU, and that a character had to die in the prologue. Consider yourselves warned…

o O o

**Prologue**

Touya walked down the corridor with a certain apprehension. He couldn't ignore the feeling that something was _wrong_.

He had never come this far into the high-security wing before. Nobody he knew had. Yet he had received this call… Why he was wanted here, he didn't know. He had no instructions except to come. He had thought it impossible, but whoever had called him promised there would be no obstacles. _You will be allowed_, was all the voice had said. It sounded human, but Touya could tell it was an android speaking.

That made him more nervous. That air of mystery could only mean one thing: _against the rules_. But it didn't make sense. Even the Seer had to follow the Council's orders… didn't he?

The Seer. Touya didn't know much about him. The veil of secret around him had turned him into a living legend. People told the wildest stories about him. And he was going to meet him now, though he couldn't imagine why. It was rare for anyone to enter the Seer's quarters, let alone a young pilot.

Definitely against the rules.

But, so far, he _was_ being allowed to go on. He hadn't seen anyone in the corridor; and when he reached the last door, only a computer awaited him.

This was it, the moment that would define if he'd find success or arrest. Touya wasn't too worried; he had faced worse things than arrest, after all. But he'd certainly have a hard time trying to explain how on earth he'd gotten so far.

Still, he had to try. With an annoyed sigh, he placed his right hand on the computer's screen.

"Captain Touya Kinomoto," he announced.

Against everything he had expected, the metallic door slid open.

Touya found himself in a circular room with screens all around the walls. The constant movement of faces and battleships on them nearly made him dizzy, and he was grateful that no sounds were coming from them at the time. However, his eyes immediately focused on the center of the room. There, sitting on a luxurious armchair, was the Seer himself.

He was nothing like Touya had imagined; just a dark-haired, bespectacled man with a tired smile. Yet Touya could feel the wave of power coming from him… and from the two androids beside him.

So _those_ were real, at least. He had heard stories about them: a winged man and lion. It was rumoured that the Seer treated them as real people, his only companions in his confinement. Touya couldn't blame him. If he hadn't known better, he would have sworn that the beautiful creatures weren't artificial– they looked _alive_. They were silent, but kept their eyes on him, making it clear that he was not to harm their Master.

"I was expecting you, Captain," the Seer said quietly.

"You wished to see me, sir?" Touya asked, realizing too late that he hadn't been told how to address him.

"Do you know what I do?"

"I know what they say, sir," he answered. "That your foresight helps us win the battles before the enemy comes too close to the planet. That you are the one who prevents the real war from starting."

"That is what they say, yes," the Seer said with an empty look. "But to achieve that, I have to see everything. All the time."

He waved his hand at the screens around him before he turned to Touya again.

"I'm afraid I have been weak, however," he said, a sad smile twisting his lips. "I have grown fond of you, Captain."

Touya's only answer was a startled look. He certainly wasn't expecting _that_.

"There will be battle today," the Seer whispered, absently petting his lion-android. Touya could barely hold back a snort. There had always been battle, ever since he could remember.

The Seer looked at him in the eye. "I have something for you."

Touya approached him; now he could see the earpiece the man was wearing. It was true, then, that he was constantly connected to the members of the Council. That couldn't be nice. The Seer placed a minute earpiece on Touya's hand.

"I want you to do exactly as I tell you."

o O o

"You have never been wrong, Clow," he heard Yue's voice beside him. "It won't change."

"I had to try."

"The Council won't like it," said Cerberus. "And he won't listen. Such a stubborn- "

"Cerberus, _please_."

"He _is_ stubborn," the lion insisted. "That's why you like him."

"He must listen. His life is not the only one at stake."

Yue looked at him with knowing eyes. "But it's him who worries you."

Clow couldn't deny that. He had been watching everyone for so long that he didn't try to keep track of time anymore. They were nameless faces to him; but Captain Kinomoto –no, _Touya–_ was different. He was the son he would have wished for, had he been allowed to live his own life.

And he was going into battle, exactly– _now_.

The first explosion passed. Clow set the screens to show Touya's battleship.

"Can you hear me, Captain?"

"Yes, sir."

"I need you to protect the Shield."

Touya seemed to doubt; others were there already. But he did as he was told. It worked for a while; though their losses were great, the Shield remained safe. That was Clow's priority.

It wasn't Touya's, however.

"They're destroying us!" he snapped. "I can't stay here!"

"You have to."

He didn't listen. His ship left the Shield to join the others.

"_No!_" Clow shouted, overwhelmed with emotion for the first time in decades. "Don't–"

Another explosion; Touya's death and the loss of the Shield were simultaneous. Then came the visions– enemies on the planet, fire and screams… death…

Clow came to his senses to find Yue supporting him, Cerberus pushing him to his chair, and the Council yelling in his head. Furious and terrified, they demanded explanations.

Struggling for breath, he barely managed to whisper the one word that answered their questions.

"War…"


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

It was getting late. Kimihiro ran through the crowded streets, anxious to reach the shop. Getting there on time or not wasn't what worried him, however; his problem was a different one. Public places had been torture for him as of late.

Six months of war –actual, declared war– hadn't changed people's lives too much, at least in metropolis like the one where he lived. The fearsome and militarized atmosphere had been present for years. And, though everybody had panicked when the Shield had broken, there hadn't been any attacks on cities so far. The enemies were too busy stealing the water they had come for. It was near the dams where the real battles took place.

But life _had_ changed for Kimihiro. Ever since the first ships had landed on the planet, he could barely step out of his apartment without choking on thick black smoke. The spirits that followed him since his childhood seemed to grow stronger with this newfound sense of oppression, with people's fear and hatred.

That was the reason why he hadn't thrown a fit at his boss and quit yet. Yuuko had him overworked and underpaid, but she kept the spirits away. And, as much as Kimihiro hated to admit it, he knew he could trust her. She was the only one who knew about his powers; and the only person he knew who had powers of her own.

_What_ those powers were, though, he didn't know. She never spoke about it, and he didn't dare to ask; but he could feel the strong magic that she had. He wondered why it was so important to keep it secret.

Because it was important, he had no doubts about that. Yuuko had practically made him swear that he wouldn't tell anyone else about his situation. _Or you might end up like the Seer_, she had told him.

That was ridiculous, Kimihiro had thought back then; he couldn't see the future. But it still had made him uneasy. The Seer had a lousy life. Spending all those years alone, locked away from the world… and he hadn't been able to stop the war, after all.

People said time had finally caught up with him, or maybe it was the pain of having failed at the one thing he was expected to do. They said he was dying.

Kimihiro didn't know if he should believe that. People had always told legends about the Seer, and most of them were no more than wild inventions. But whenever he tried to ask Yuuko about it, her face turned dark.

She was waiting for him when he arrived, holding a box-shaped object. He had never seen her so serious.

"You have classes with Professor Kinomoto, don't you?" Yuuko asked as soon as he entered the shop.

"Yes," he replied, "History. Why…?"

"I need you to give this to him," she said.

Kimihiro looked at the book that was now in his hands. On the cover, in golden letters, was written _The Clow_.

o O o

Clow couldn't hold back a scream at the screeching, high-pitched sound that seemed to come from inside of his own head. It turned into buzzing, and then-

Silence.

For the first time in countless years, there was silence. He opened his eyes. Yue was supporting him, a worried look on his face.

"Your earpiece failed," said the android.

"Someone has been messing with the frequency," Clow replied, and he allowed himself a small smile. "It has started…"

o O o

Sakura finished her homework right in time to meet Tomoyo; her friend's choir practice was about to end. She left the library and waited for her at the school's gate.

When the Shield had been lost, Tomoyo had offered to take Sakura home in her limousine from then on. Being a Councillor's daughter, she was always surrounded by bodyguards, and she hadn't hesitated to extend that protection to her best friend.

The war had never seemed real before that day. For them, it had been just an idea they were used to live with, a shadow covering them from before they were born– yet nothing but an idea or a shadow. And then, Touya…

"I'm ready," Tomoyo said, taking Sakura's thoughts back to the present. "Shall we go?"

She forced a smile as they entered the limousine. It didn't fool her friend, however.

"Are you all right?" Tomoyo asked softly. She shrugged.

"I'm trying my best," she said. "But I can't help thinking… I know he wouldn't want me to feel bad, but I really miss my brother."

There was silence for a while. Tomoyo didn't try to console her with empty words, and Sakura was grateful for that. Her friend's listening was enough to make her feel somewhat better.

"Besides," she suddenly blurted out, "I'm worried about Shaoran. Everyone in his family has been in the military, for hundreds of years. That's how his father died, you know? And I'm sure that, as soon as he's of age…"

"We're still fourteen," Tomoyo said with a reassuring smile. "Who knows what will happen in four years… Perhaps the war will be over. Mother says the Council is doing everything possible."

"You're right," Sakura sighed. "I'm thinking too much. We should be hopeful, don't you think?"

"What you need is a distraction," answered her friend. "Why don't you come home tomorrow after school? There's a new model I want you to try on!"

"Hoe… ah, all right," she said. Tomoyo had strange hobbies, but if they kept her from thinking about the word for a while, that was good. Sometimes, Sakura thought that the only thing she needed was a weird hobby of her own.

She arrived home to find her father sitting in the living-room, focused on a strange looking book. Sakura couldn't hold back a smile at the sight. Her father had never been the same after losing Touya… It was nice to see him recover his usual interest in the work he used to love, even if it was just for a moment.

"Hi, Dad," she said. "What did you find this time?"

"That is what I'm trying to figure out, actually," he replied after greeting her. "One of my students brought it to me– he's on his last year of school, and has a part time job at an antique shop. He said his boss thought I'd be interested in it."

"And are you?" Sakura asked, sitting beside him to get a closer look. "It seems to be just an old book…"

"It isn't a book," said her father, "that much I can tell. It must be some sort of container… but it's locked, and even my master key won't open it. If this is not a fake, the man was truly a genius."

"Who?" she asked. "Do you know who made it?"

He pointed at the book's cover, where golden letters spelled _The Clow_.

"About two hundred years ago," he explained, "lived an engineer named Clow Reed. He was one of the people who set up the original Shield, back when the enemies were beginning to approach. According to records of that time, he was supposed to have an extraordinary talent; but if he did, we have no proof. He simply vanished when he was still young, and left nothing behind him."

"You mean this could prove or disprove history," whispered Sakura, looking at the book with a newfound awe.

"Indeed," answered her father, and for a moment his eyes lit up, "that is, if I could open it."

"Oh…"

"I do wonder," he continued, distracted, "why the shopkeeper didn't want to keep it. If this is real, it must be invaluable."

Sakura couldn't help but shudder a little.

"Didn't you say he disappeared?" she said. "Maybe it's cursed…"

"You've heard too many ghost stories," her father replied with a laugh. She shrugged.

"I guess," she sighed. But she couldn't shake off the feeling that there was a story behind that book.


	3. Chapter 2

**Author's note:** First of all, thanks to everyone for your reviews… and for your patience. I'm really sorry that this story is coming out so slowly, but I'd rather post good chapters than rush it to post quickly. I want to make this as good as I can! So I can't promise there will be another chapter soon, but I _can_ promise there will be another chapter. ;)

o O o

**Chapter 2**

Standing before the sliding door, Kaho took a deep breath. Even with all she knew, she now realized that she wasn't quite sure of what to expect. There was no reason to delay the moment, however. She pressed her hand on the computer screen and said her name.

"Councillor Mitsuki," the Seer said on the very instant the door slid open. "We meet face to face at last. I suppose you have a good reason to grant me the pleasure of your visit."

His condescending, exaggerated courtesy almost made Kaho feel at fault. It was more than obvious that she wasn't wanted there. His two androids stood close beside him, with fiercely protective looks on their eyes. Cerberus and Yue... Finally, she had the chance to see them. She had no doubts that they were just as deadly as they were beautiful.

"I wanted to see if the rumours were true," she answered. "About... your health."

"Why, how considerate of you." His voice was as icy as Yue's glare.

"I would like to speak with you," Kaho insisted.

For a moment, he didn't say anything. Then he turned to his androids and told them something in a low voice. A door, disguised among the many screens, opened for them; Kaho couldn't see where it lead to. It was only reluctantly that they left the room. Cerberus made a point of looking back at her, with fire on his golden eyes, before the door slid close.

"Your Guardians don't trust me," she said once they were gone.

"Why should they? You are the enemy," the Seer replied. "In fact, Councillor, why should _I_ trust you?"

"I was not aware that the Council was against you."

"I am a prisoner here," he said, "as much as you would all like to pretend it is not so."

Kaho averted her gaze.

"I never said I liked things the way they are," she whispered.

"I know that. I also know your reasons," he continued. "A Seer is useful, yes, but someday he is going to die... maybe soon. And then they might notice that Kaho can See, too. It is no wonder that you concern yourself about my health."

She stared at him for a second, taken aback. His knowing about her powers was something she had counted on, but the rest...

"You have a cold, ruthless mind," she told him.

"Perhaps. And also accurate."

"I came because the communication hadn't been fixed!" she exclaimed. "I came here before someone finds a solution and the whole Council can hear your every word again. I do want to help you."

"To help yourself."

"Is that so terrible?"

He didn't answer. His gaze focused on one of the screens on the circular walls. He did think it was terrible, Kaho realized; his hands were clawing on the arms of his chair.

"I am not­-" he said at last, "I am not the means to everybody else's well-being. But I know you think of me as such. The least you can do is stop pretending you care."

So that was it... Kaho felt a wave of sympathy invade her, almost against her will. And then, she knew what she had to say.

"You think I don't see you as a person," she said softly, "but I know who you are."

His fingernails dug deeper into his armchair.

"I know who you are," she repeated, "Clow Reed."

Something broke within him at those words. He covered his face with his hands, shaking, and for an instant Kaho thought she had said too much too soon. His breathing was laboured when he finally replied.

"No human voice has spoken that name in two hundred years," he whispered. It took him a while to regain his composure, but he looked at her in the eye when he did. "You say you want to help me, Councillor... yet you have come here without any idea of how."

"You're right," she admitted, and she smiled a little in spite of herself. "All I knew was that nobody could hear us. But still, I- I did feel that I should come, that I could be of help."

"I do have something to ask of you," he told her. "Just not for me."

He took off a chain he had been wearing around his neck, hidden beneath his dark robes until that moment. There were two oddly shaped keys hanging from it; he gave one of them to Kaho. It looked like a tiny pink bird.

"You know Sakura," he said.

It wasn't a question.

o O o

Kurogane paced across the room, waiting for one of the Councillors to see him. Why did they always have to make him wait for so long? They were the ones who called him, after all. It wasn't as if he wanted to be there.

The door finally opened, and he knew the meeting was going to be a disaster.

Flowright entered with a flash, as always. His long, white coat flowed behind him in a way that was much too perfect not to be calculated; his bright smile was out of place on a politician in times of war. Kurogane held back an annoyed sigh. Up to a few months earlier, he never knew who would talk to him; it was usually Councillors Amamiya or Daidouji. Since the first time Flowright met him, however, it had never changed anymore. He had to be doing it on purpose.

Kurogane hated him, and didn't waste any efforts trying to hide it.

"Councillor."

"General."

He sat down and gestured for Kurogane to do the same. At least he seemed to be going straight to business this time.

"I'm afraid you will have to travel again, General," Flowright said, pretending to be relaxed. "A fleet of enemy ships is heading to Blackriver Dam."

"What makes you think that we will arrive there in time?" he interrupted. "It's a long way from here."

"The Seer says you'll make it."

"And does he say if we happen to stand a change this time?" Kurogane crossed his arms and threw himself back on his chair. "Or do I just tell my troops that we're going to get slaughtered again?"

"You don't know that," the Councillor replied. "It is still better than being attacked by surprise, after all."

"You have no idea of how things work!" he snapped. Flowright didn't seem at all affected by being shouted at, which angered him even more. "It's a massacre out there. Why do you think there can be Generals my age? They're destroying us!"

"Of course they are," was the other man's answer, followed by a small chuckle. "_They_. How could be possibly defeat our enemies, when we don't even know who 'they' are?"

Kurogane jumped up. He couldn't believe he was having this conversation.

"Find someone else to talk about philosophy, Councillor. I have very concrete problems to solve."

"Ah, of course. Who needs to think when we can blow things up, right?"

The General glared at him, but it didn't wipe off his smirk.

"I do what is expected of me," said Kurogane. "Which is more than can be said about you. What _are_ you doing?"

Flowright stood up, and his smile was grim.

"I'm surviving, General," he replied. "What else is there to be done?"

o O o

"_What_? " Shaoran exclaimed. "Something that Clow made? "

Sakura was taken aback to see her boyfriend so affected by the news. She had only told her friends about her father's latest finding, while they waited for Tomoyo's limousine to arrive; but he was acting as if it was very important to him.

"Have you heard of him?" she asked. "I didn't know you were interested in engineering."

"It's not that," he replied. "It's just… well, yeah, I've heard about him. He was an ancestor. His mother was a Li."

"You never mentioned him before," Tomoyo pointed out. Now Shaoran looked distinctly uncomfortable.

"Um… we don't really _talk_ about him… er, it's complicated." He looked at both girls for a moment, then he sighed. "There are a couple of things I'll have to tell you. But not here -"

He was interrupted by footsteps approaching them. Sakura turned around to see who it was and smiled brightly at the newcomer.

"Professor Mitsuki! I mean, _Councillor_," she corrected herself, remembering her former teacher's new status.

"I wanted to see you, Sakura," the Councillor told her, returning the smile with her usual warmth. "I need to give you something."

"… hoe?"

"It's a present for you," she continued, "from Clow Reed."


	4. Chapter 3

**Author's Note:** Thank you all for reading, reviewing, and of course waiting! ;)

o O o

**Chapter 3**

Sakura entered her father's study. She couldn't help feeling that she was sneaking in, now that he was at work, but she had to do this. Professor Mitsuki had given her a key, and there was only one thing that it could open.

The book lay forgotten in a corner of the room, among piles of folders and papers. It seemed her father hadn't given it much thought as of late. That relieved her a little; she didn't want to take something that was important to him.

But it looked like she had no choice. With a sigh, she took the old book and returned to the living-room, where Shaoran and Tomoyo were waiting for her. She blushed when she saw that her friend had already prepared her camera.

"Are you going to film this? But..."

"It might be important!" Tomoyo exclaimed. "We don't know what could happen when you open it. If your father is right, this will be a historical moment!"

Sakura blushed even further. She looked at Shaoran, but he hadn't been paying attention; he was staring at the book as if he wanted to pierce a whole in it with his eyes.

"All right," she said, "I'll give it a try."

She took the strange pink key and put it into the keyhole. It fitted easily. With a slow movement, she began to turn it – and a wave of energy flowed out of the book when it opened.

"What... what was that?" she gasped. Shaoran looked at her in amazement.

"You felt it too?"

"Yes..."

"I didn't feel anything strange," Tomoyo intervened, confused. "I only saw the book open. What are you talking about?"

"Magic," Shaoran said. The two girls stared at him, wide-eyed and speechless. "I guess there's no point in hiding it now. That's what I meant to tell you earlier... I can do magic; my whole family can. And apparently Sakura can do it, too."

"Me?" she asked, her voice a mere whisper. "But... it's impossible..."

"You felt the energy coming from it, didn't you?" he told her. "Look, I'll explain it better later. But first we should see what's inside the book."

Sakura, still in shock, had almost forgotten what they were doing in the first place. She soon realized that her father was right: it wasn't a book, it was a container. There were cards inside, nineteen of them, each one with a different illustration and caption. _The Shadow_... _The Shield_... _The Illusion_...

"They look like electronic cards," said Tomoyo, taking one and examining it closely. Shaoran did the same.

"They're magical," he whispered in awe. "And really powerful."

"But Clow Reed made these, didn't he?" asked Sakura. "I thought he was an engineer."

"He was," Shaoran replied. "But he was also a sorcerer. He was the first person to combine magic and technology, and possibly the last one, too. Our people started hiding around the time he disappeared."

"Why?" Tomoyo asked. He shrugged.

"I don't know. Nobody talks a lot about these things, and there's nothing written either."

"Then I guess it must be really important to keep it secret," Sakura said quietly. "Isn't it?"

Her boyfriend sighed, looking very uncomfortable.

"I wanted to tell you," he said. "But you're right. It _is_ important to hide it. I don't know much about how this started to happen, but I do know that if you can use magic, and you're in a war... well, people will try to make you do things that you wouldn't want to do."

Sakura took a deep breath.

"I can use magic," she repeated. "I still can't believe it..."

"I knew you _had_ to be special!" Tomoyo exclaimed, clasping her hands. She blushed.

"But I don't understand something," Sakura said. "What am I supposed to do with the Cards?"

Shaoran didn't have an answer for that.

o O o

The next time Kaho went to see Clow, he was already alone; but it didn't seem as if he was expecting her, anyway. Although he was looking at the screens again, his gaze seemed to go far beyond them.

"Forgive me," he whispered at last.

"For last time?" Kaho asked, confused. He smiled a little, but didn't turn to look at her.

"For Touya," he replied. "You loved him."

"That was a long time ago," she said, trying very hard to keep her voice steady. For a moment, she wondered if Clow had known why she had been so hard on him that day, if he had known that Touya's death had horrified her far more than the breaking of the Shield; but she didn't dare to ask him, not now. "We were only friends when... when it happened."

"Does it make any difference? He was important to you," he said. "He was important to _me_. I tried to save him, and – I failed."

Kaho didn't know what to answer. His pain seemed real, but she could tell there was something more to that statement, something even deeper. And then, all of a sudden, many things made sense.

_I failed_.

"You can't change what is going to happen, can you?" she asked softly. "What you See... You can't change that."

He turned to face her at last, his expression unreadable.

"Would I be here if I could?"

"That is... that's terrible," she whispered.

He didn't reply. What was there to say? She couldn't imagine what all those years must have been like for him, knowing that his sacrifice was pointless, that it had been useless all along.

That made his warm smile even more of a surprise.

"But," he said, "you gave the Key to Sakura."

Kaho nodded. Clow's smile became broader, brighter.

"Then everything will be all right."

It was strange, but he seemed to believe so strongly in those words that Kaho couldn't help but feel relieved. In spite of what he had just told her, she began to think that maybe, just maybe, things would start getting better.

"There's something I wanted to ask you," she remembered. "How come we still have no contact with you? The communication should have been fixed almost immediately."

"Ah, they tried to," he said. "But this is not something that technology can solve."

"What do you mean?" she asked. "It can't be magic – we know _you_ didn't do it, and only the members of the Council have access to those frequencies."

"Then you must have answered your own question," he replied, grinning. "I do have some contacts, Councillor."

"Then... someone in the Council..."

"Why so surprised? You are here, after all," Clow said. "Although it _is_ the first time that there are two of our kind in the government."

"The first time there are _two_?" Kaho repeated, more and more puzzled by the second. "Do you mean there have always been people with magic in the Council?"

"One in each," he confirmed, nodding, "since I am here."

She took a deep breath, trying to let everything sink in. She had always thought she was the only Councillor with powers to hide... Whoever the other one was, he or she was very good at pretending. That gave her an idea of who it might be, now that she thought about it; but she knew she wouldn't get an answer from Clow. Besides, she had another question for him first.

"That must mean," she said, "that you have much more power than it looks like! You must be pulling the strings for who knows how many things..."

Clow chuckled at her reasoning and shook his head a little.

"Of course not. There is not much that I can do from here, is it?" he told her. "No... The one who 'pulls the strings', as you say, is someone with a lot more influence than I have."

Then he would say no more, and Kaho knew that it was pointless to ask.

o O o

Kimihiro almost bumped into someone as he arrived, running, to Yuuko's shop. The tall, blond man who was coming out of it barely had time to move out of his way, but he didn't seem annoyed. He _winked_ at the boy, in fact.

It was unusual to see a customer leave the place with such a cheerful look, considering Yuuko's prices. He wondered what was going on...

His boss didn't give him time to ask.

"I have a special job for you today," she told him.

Kimihiro didn't bother to hide his tired sigh. He hated it when she said those things. The last time, she had given him that strange book for Professor Kinomoto. It had been full of _something_ – he wasn't sure of what it was, but it had lots of weird magic and he had been glad to rid of it. He only hoped it wasn't giving his teacher too much trouble; Kinomoto was a nice man.

"I'm going to hate it, right?" he asked. Yuuko grinned at him, looking amused. That couldn't be a good sign.

"Probably," she said. "But first, someone else has to arrive... ah. There he comes."

A brown-haired boy, a little younger than Kimihiro, had just crossed the door. He didn't seem to mind the two android-girls that lead the way, and he looked at Yuuko in the eye.

"Are you Yuuko Ichihara?" he asked, in an arrogant tone of voice that Kimihiro would never have dared to use with her. However, she remained unfazed.

"Indeed. I was expecting you," she replied, "Shaoran Li."

The boy glared at her, realising that she was making fun of him. Yuuko grinned even more.

Kimihiro only wanted to run away.


	5. Chapter 4

**Author's Note: **Believe it or not, it's back! Thank you all so much for your patience!

**

* * *

**

**Chapter 4**

Even before he arrived to the shop, Shaoran had known that it wasn't going to be a smooth meeting. The witch had quite a reputation. But _this_ was not what he had been expecting. He had imagined trouble in the form of a powerful and intimidating lady, not a lazy woman who looked like she didn't care about him at all and some unknown boy who wouldn't go away so they could speak. She made no signs of asking him to leave, either. Shaoran gritted his teeth and reminded himself that nobody else would even understand what he was talking about.

"I need you to help us," he said, making it clear that it wasn't just a request. She raised her eyebrows, but didn't look upset at all, and took the time to blow a ring of smoke before she replied.

"If you're trying to use the influence of the Li family," she told him, "you're a couple of centuries too late. Nobody remembers it anymore but yourselves."

"Our clan," he replied, making an incredible effort not to yell at her, "is still powerful among the magical community. You should know that, Witch."

"There is no magical community," she said, "not anymore. And you may call me Yuuko."

This woman was impossible to talk to. Shaoran decided to go straight to the point, since she was only making his waste his time. He had come for answers, not to listen to her nonsense.

"My girlfriend found a set of magical cards. They were made by Clow Reed," he began to say, but stopped dead when he noticed that Yuuko was smirking.

"I know that. I made sure that she did."

"_What_?" Shaoran exclaimed. "Clow Reed was of Li blood! The Cards should belong to us – "

"Now, calm down," she interrupted him, waving her hand. "I don't know what kind of stories you have been hearing, kid, but the Lis aren't the centre of the universe. The Cards belong to Sakura, and that's how it should be. You wouldn't even have been able to open the book, anyway."

"That's not true!" he burst. "I have plenty of magic of my own, and years of training!"

"It has nothing to do with that," said Yuuko. "She got the book and she got the key. They were meant for _her_."

"Look, I'm sure she has enough power," he sighed. "I felt it, when she opened it. I've been friends with her for years, and I know that she can do pretty much anything when she sets herself to it, even if she doesn't look like she can. I wouldn't be with her if I thought she was useless. But she didn't even know she had magic until the other day. She has no idea of what to do with the Cards."

"Neither do you," she answered. "That's why you came to see me, after all."

Shaoran turned bright red. He would have liked to think of a biting reply, but nothing came to mind. In the end, he just looked away, feeling like a fool.

"... yes," he muttered. The witch grinned.

"Well, that's a good thing, because I _can_ help you. Watanuki!" she said, turning to the other boy, who looked relieved to notice that they still remembered he was there. "I need you to bring us something. Maru and Moro will lead you."

He nodded and left, guided by the two android girls ­­– or, actually, dragged by them. Yuuko looked at Shaoran again, this time far more serious.

"Sakura will need all the support you can give her," she told him. "There will be a great responsibility placed on her."

"Just tell me what to do," he replied, determined. She smiled.

"I will give you the means to meet certain people. They will be able to help you, even if it doesn't look like it in the beginning. Besides, there are many of us involved in this..."

"You just said there was no magical community anymore," Shaoran told her, unable to stop himself.

"There isn't," she agreed. "But there _are_ some scattered people still around, as you would know if you weren't so focused on the past. We will help Sakura, although we won't be obvious about it."

"Are you sure things will work, then?" he asked. Yuuko simply grinned.

"Everything will be all right."

o O o

When Maru and Moro let go of his arms at last, Kimihiro stumbled into the storage room – he refused to call that stuff _treasures_, no matter how old or expensive they were, because nothing that was treated so carelessly deserved such a name. The place was a mess. Everything was piled up almost at random, and it kept getting dirty in spite of his best efforts. He hated the place.

It was then when he noticed that he had no idea of what he was looking for. Yuuko hadn't said it.

"Oh, great," he groaned. "Now I'll have to make a fool of myself and go ask. If she didn't insist on keeping that stupid mysterious atmosphere…"

"It's part of the business!" he heard Yuuko's voice say behind him. He jumped, startled. Had she followed him? But he turned around, and she wasn't there.

"… huh?"

"I sent the girls with you for a reason, Watanuki," the voice said again. Kimihiro noticed it was a transmission coming from the androids. Of course, he thought; it was simple. He felt like a fool for getting scared like that.

On the other hand… she couldn't be having _two_ conversations at a time, right? He shook his head and chose to ignore the idea, at least for the moment. He had heard enough about magic for a day. All that talk about a magical community and cards and whatnot had made him nervous. Besides, he was sure that the book they had mentioned was the one he had given to Professor Kinomoto; he remembered seeing the name Clow on the cover. Sure enough, it had gotten people in trouble. He sighed and followed the girls across the room. It was better to get this done as soon as possible.

"Here they are," Yuuko said through Maru and Moro, who pointed at one of the shelves. "Turn them on and bring them."

At first, Kimihiro thought what his boss wanted were two simple plush toys. They certainly looked like that: they were some sort of plump bunnies, one black and one white. It seemed odd, but he was used to that kind of thing by now. He shrugged and lifted the glass that covered them.

He felt a strong current going through his hands when he did so, like electricity, as if there had been some sort of field protecting them. That was probably the case, he thought. Now that he looked at them closely, he could tell they were in fact droids. Well, at least that made a little more sense. He reached for the white one, trying to find a button or switch.

It wasn't necessary.

"Booo!" it yelled, opening its eyes to a size that Kimihiro wouldn't have thought possible. He yelled back at it and tripped, shocked, and next thing he knew he was lying on his back with two tiny bunny-shaped droids bouncing on his chest.

"Stop that!" he shouted, sitting up. The black one looked at him with something that could have passed for a hurt expression.

"We were saving you!" it said. "Mokona knows first aids!"

"You were _killing_ me!" Kimihiro exclaimed, before he noticed he was fighting with a toy android. "Come on, Yuuko is waiting."

He took both of them in his arms and ran back to the main room of the shop. It seemed that his boss's infamous intimidation skills had worked again: the boy looked a lot less confident and was waiting quietly now. Kimihiro gave the droids to Yuuko, who, in turn, handed the white one to Li.

"This is Mokona Modoki," she said. "It will lead you to people who know how to help you. They might look strange to you at first, but you must trust them. They will show you the way to teach Sakura how to use the Cards."

The boy looked doubtful – whatever he had been expecting, it probably wasn't a plush toy of a droid – but took Mokona in his arms anyway. Of course, he didn't have much of a choice.

"So, um," he muttered, "I know people don't pay you with money. What do you want?"

Yuuko let a ring of smoke escape, with a thoughtful expression.

"Well, that sword you have would sell well," she said, and Li paled for a moment, "but I'm afraid you're probably going to need it. So I'll have to settle for something else, then."

The boy let out a sigh of relief. So did Mokona, when Li's hands relaxed and stopped strangling it.

"I have an idea," Yuuko continued. "Bring Sakura to meet me, when everything is over."

"Is that all?" he asked, blinking. "Um, all right, then. I promise."

"Good luck," she told him as he left, already fighting with Mokona. As soon as he was gone, Kimihiro glared at Yuuko. She had kept the black droid, who was sitting on her lap as she smoked.

"You owe me a lot of explanations," he said. She smiled at him, but turned around again almost immediately.

"In time."

o O o

"I'm all right," Clow whispered, although the hoarseness in his own voice contradicted what he said. "I don't need this."

"It won't take long," Yue lied, as usual. Those words had stopped being soothing long ago, however, and even his good intentions were lost on Clow at times like this. It was hard to feel grateful with so much pain.

Shaking, he didn't notice he had jerked back his arm until it was too late. He gasped and choked on a scream as the needles tore his skin.

"Stop moving!" Cerberus shouted. "You're just going to make it worse!"

Clow wanted to answer something – something _cruel_, something that reminded them that they weren't the ones with needles piercing through their wrist, they weren't the ones with chemicals burning their way through their veins, they weren't the ones kept alive when all they wanted, right now, was for everything to be finally over – but his voice didn't come out.

The machine took out the needles with a sudden pull, and he sank down on his pillows, still unable to recover his breath. As the pain ebbed away, however, he was suddenly glad that he hadn't managed to say anything after all. It wasn't their fault. It was anyone's but theirs.

They climbed onto the bed without saying a word, and settled on each side of him. While Yue silently bandaged his wounded wrist, Clow ran his free hand through Cerberus's fur. Yes, it was better that he hadn't said anything. He would have never forgiven himself if he had, and then…

No. He wasn't going to think about that. Simply knowing about it was bad enough. Besides, he couldn't let them wonder if there was something wrong; he couldn't let them ask… It would hurt them, and he wasn't going to do that, not until it was absolutely necessary.

He wanted to tell them how much he loved them, how much they meant to him, but Yue shushed him when he tried to speak.


	6. Chapter 5

**Author's Note:** Yes, it's still alive. :) As usual, sorry about making you wait so long, and thanks for reading!

* * *

**Chapter 5**

"Aww! You're adorable!" Sakura squealed. She wrapped her arms around the fluffy white droid, who seemed to be enjoying the attention.

"Everyone likes Mokona!"

"I don't," Shaoran muttered. He hadn't stopped glaring since they had arrived at his girlfriend's house. "You made a lot of noise on the way, meatbun. People were staring at us."

"Please, be nice," she chided him. "Mokona is going to help us, after all."

"I think it's more interested in posing for Daidouji's camera," he grumbled. Indeed, the small creature kept moving around and making silly faces. Sakura couldn't help thinking he was very funny, no matter what her boyfriend had to say about that.

"But he's so cute!" Tomoyo intervened, defending him, as she leaned down to get a better shot. "Especially there in Sakura's arms!"

Mokona bounced a little, looking very pleased with himself and making both girls giggle. Shaoran still didn't seem convinced at all, but he simply sighed, resigned. He hadn't been in such a bad mood in days; it couldn't be only because he found the droid annoying.

"Are you all right?" Sakura asked him, in a vain attempt to cheer him up. "You look like you had a bad day. Was the Witch very frightening?"

"Not really," he said. "She's just _insane_. And she didn't tell me anything useful, anyway. I can't see how this stuffed toy can help us."

"Of course Mokona can help!" he exclaimed, offended. Sakura sat him on the table and smiled.

"I'm sure you can," she said. "I just need you to tell me what I have to do with those Cards."

"Mokona doesn't know that."

Shaoran groaned, and he looked as if he was trying very hard not to say _I told you so_. Even Tomoyo gasped, taking a hand to her face. Sakura wondered if the camera would save her own exasperated face for posterity. So much for defending the droid...

"Didn't you just say you would help?" she asked him.

"You didn't let Mokona finish!" he said. "There are people who know what to do. Mokona's job is finding them."

"Are you sure you can do that?" she insisted. The little droid beamed at her.

"Just leave it to Mokona!"

Sakura sighed, letting herself fall into a chair. It seemed that there was no other choice than trust him and hope for the best. Then, all of a sudden, she realized something she hadn't thought about before.

"Where are we going to keep you?"

o O o

When Kaho opened the door, it was Yue who received her, without saying a word. She stared at him a little, taken aback. That was unexpected; and it became downright worrying when she noticed that he was alone in the room.

"Did something happen?" she asked, trying not to show too much anxiety. But it couldn't have, she told herself, she hadn't seen anything... The android shook his head, proving her fears pointless.

"He is in bed," he replied.

"Oh," she said, still somewhat confused. "Perhaps I should come later, then..."

"Wait," said Yue. He was frowning, as if he didn't like what he was going to tell her, but looked up at her anyway. "He wants to see you."

He led her to the hidden door that she had seen the first time she'd come here, which slid open at his touch. Kaho couldn't hold back a gasp at what she saw on the other side. She found herself looking at a large bedroom, luxurious but old-fashioned. The furniture and decorations might have been quite modern when Clow first arrived there, perhaps, but they hadn't been changed in two centuries. The place gave her a certain feeling of oppression, in spite of its beauty. This showed perfectly well just for how long he'd been locked in.

Clow lay on the bed, looking paler than ever, with clean white bandages around his right wrist. He was running his fingers through Cerberus's thick, golden fur. The lion slept beside him, curled up on the bed, and it seemed impossible to believe that this giant kitty could look so imposing when he was awake.

As soon as Kaho stepped into the room, the door closed behind her. She turned around, surprised, and realized that only she had entered.

"Yue..."

"Yue is a little possessive," said Clow, smiling softly. "But you must forgive him. Try to understand that they were the only ones to ever see me, for a very long time."

"Is it all right to talk?" Kaho whispered, looking at the sleeping droid.

"There's no need to worry," he replied. "We won't wake him up so easily."

She couldn't hold back a chuckle at that. He looked up at her, bemused, as she sat down on a chair next to the bed.

"What is it?" he asked.

"All that formal act of yours is gone," she explained.

"Is it?" he asked, blinking. "I suppose I _am_ still quite dazed, then."

"I thought the way you talked was too stilted to be real," said Kaho. "Why do you do that? You sound so much friendlier this way."

He averted his gaze, looking at Cerberus as he stroked his head.

"Do you think I can take that risk?"

"You are very nice to these two."

"They are always here with me," he whispered. "It's different."

Kaho nodded silently; she could see his point. It would only make things worse to grow fond of someone he would barely ever see. And it had happened before, she realized... The sudden memory of Touya was like a sharp pain in her chest. She tried to take her mind off it, since she still wasn't ready to think about him without being sad, and she knew he wouldn't have wanted that.

"Those wounds are because of your treatment, aren't they?" she asked, the first thing that came to her mind. "Does it really help you?"

"They say it keeps me alive. But I don't need it. I can do that on my own," Clow replied. "It's not their medicine what makes me look like this after all this time."

"You are still drugged," Kaho laughed. He grinned at her a little.

"Perhaps," he said, "but I'm telling the truth."

"I don't doubt that," she said softly. She looked at his bandaged wrist and frowned. "Has it always been like this?"

"The way they do it?" he asked, following her eyes. She nodded.

"At first, people came, and it wasn't as bad as now. They used to talk to me," he said, with a lost look. "But I think nobody liked what they had to do. They changed it for a machine soon. Not even a droid. Just a cold, ugly thing."

She couldn't help but squirm a little on her chair. Although he was nice to her now, it still made her somewhat uncomfortable to be with him. Seeing him there, learning the details about his life, forced her to think about all those things that she hadn't paid attention to before. After all, nothing seemed to be wrong, at first sight: he was surrounded by luxuries and comforts, respected by everyone.

In Kaho's eyes, that was the most disturbing part of it all. It was the reason why she had never questioned his situation, not until he fell ill and she started wondering how would it feel to be in his place... Even as a Councillor, she hadn't done anything to change things. Now it was much too late for both of them.

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

For a moment, he simply stared at her with a closed expression. He didn't say a word; but, in the end, he smiled. Relieved, Kaho returned the gesture.

Then she took courage. He _was_ still drugged, and if there was a chance for him to tell her the truth, this was it.

"You never answered," she said, "when I asked you how sick you were."

Clow looked away again. He petted Cerberus's sleeping form a bit more, still without saying anything, and he closed his eyes.

"I will not die of illness," he assured her at last.

But there was a sad smile on his face as he said it, and Kaho didn't like it.

o O o

"We lost Blackriver Dam."

Kurogane knew that he was being blunt, but there was no other way to say it. They had lost too many men this time, there were too many wounded. Trying to make things sound softer than they were would be a disrespect to those who had fought. The enemy ships had greatly outnumbered them; although they had fought back for as long as they could, it was to no avail.

The general himself had barely survived the attack, leaving behind the best of his ships. He had led the few men that were left back to the city. They were in the military hospital now, but Kurogane had gone straight to see the Council, without even changing from his scorched uniform. His report could not wait.

The four Councillors listened gravely as he told them every detail of what had happened at the dam. Even when he was finished, they remained silent for a while. The news were bad, so bad that even Flowright looked serious.

"You know the situation better than any of us here, General" Councillor Amamiya said at last. "What would you consider the best course of action?"

"Protect the cities," Kurogane answered, without a moment's hesitation. "We don't have enough men or ships to fight them in the open. We need time to rebuild our army, and in the meantime, all we can do is keep our people safe."

"They can't attack the cities," said Councillor Daidouji, and her voice sounded as if she was trying very hard not to show her nervousness. "The Seer would have said something –"

"He did," pointed out Councillor Mitsuki. "Right after we lost the Shield."

"But he didn't say _when_," Daidouji insisted. "He would warn us if we were in immediate danger."

"He would," Flowright agreed, nodding. "We still have some time to organize our defence."

"Then that is what we shall do,"said Councillor Amamiya. He was the oldest one of them, and he looked particularly tired now. "Thank you, General. Go and rest now, you deserve it."

Kurogane left the room, exhausted but relieved. They had taken the news rather well, all things considered, and at least they planned to do _something_ about the situation. It wouldn't be easy, but he didn't want to think about that yet. All he needed was a hot shower and a bed...

"Just a minute, General!" a clear voice said from behind him, before he could go any far.

He closed his eyes for an instant, took a deep breath, and turned around. Flowright was there, still looking dead serious. It was a disturbing sight, in a way. As much as Kurogane hated the Councillor's constant fake grin, he didn't want to think about anything that was bad enough to make it disappear.

"What is it?" he asked.

"I need your help with something," Flowright replied. "Unofficially, of course."

"I would like an explanation before I answer that," Kurogane said coldly. Against everything he had expected, the other man just nodded.

"It's a long story," he said, and then looked at him in the eye. "Do you believe in magic, General?"

Kurogane was about to reply something rude, but Flowright's expression stopped him. It was a serious question, he realized.

This couldn't be good.


	7. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Only a few days had passed since Shaoran had brought Mokona to Sakura's home, but it soon became clear that the noisy, curious droid couldn't hide in her room forever. Although he had behaved well at first, it didn't take long until he got confident enough to wander around the house on his own. He kept popping up in the oddest places, always looking delighted to have startled Sakura. It was a miracle that her father hadn't noticed his presence yet.

"What am I going to do with you?" she sighed, picking him up by the ears so she could take him out from where he was trying to hide this time, behind a particularly heavy shelf. "Why can't you just stay quiet for a moment?"

"Don't you like to play hide-and-seek?" he asked. "You looked worried, so Mokona thought you could use a distraction."

Sakura didn't know if she should feel touched or annoyed. Probably both, she thought. However, the house's computarized alarm system didn't give her time to decide. _Tomoyo Daidouji at the door_, said the metallic voice, coming from the speakers concealed in the ceiling.

"Let her in," Sakura said, as she let go of Mokona's ears. Tomoyo entered in a rush and grabbed her friend's hands, looking very excited.

"I know what we can do!" she exclaimed. "I found the perfect place, no one will suspect anything –"

"... can you go slower?" Sakura interrupted, confused. The other girl just smiled.

"I have an idea about where to hide Mokona," she explained, now calmer. "Since Mother and her grandfather became part of the Council, they couldn't pay so much attention to their toy company. There are several storehouses that aren't being used right now, and I found out that one of those buildings is very near from here."

"You mean we could let Mokona stay there? Is it safe?" asked Sakura.

"Of course. I have the only key," Tomoyo replied, grinning, and showed her a magnetic card. "Even if someone managed to enter, they wouldn't recognize Mokona. There are plenty of toys still inside, including plush animals and small droids."

"Yes! Mokona would like to live there!" the little droid said cheerfully. That lifted a weight off Sakura's shoulders. If he didn't mind being left there, then it would be the best solution, indeed.

"All right," she said. "Just give me a minute to call Shaoran."

Less than half an hour later, all three of them plus Mokona were standing at the door of a large building. Although it was in good condition, it looked abandoned; it was clear that nobody had come here in at least months. Sakura wondered exactly how rich was Tomoyo's mum, if they still had a lot of money even with their company's losses, but she was too polite to ask such a thing.

"Here we are," Tomoyo said. She took out the card and slid it through the proper slot.

The huge, heavy doors opened immediately and the lights inside the storehouse turned themselves on. It was an enormous place, full of toys still in their packages. Sakura had expected it to look cold and unwelcoming, which had worried her a little; but there were too many dolls and plush animals for that. It really was a very cute room, perfect for Mokona.

The droid was already bouncing around, inspecting his new home. He seemed to be quite pleased with it. Soon enough, he had found himself a cozy room inside of a pretty detailed dollhouse. Sakura sighed, satisfied.

"Well, that's one problem less," she said.

"What if we need to come?" Shaoran asked Tomoyo. "Will we have to call you every time?"

"Don't worry," she replied, smiling. She took two more cards out of her handbag and gave one to each of them. "I made copies. Each one of us will have one, so we don't depend on the others if we need to come. Although it would be nice if you called us when you plan to come here, Sakura," she added.

"Of course," her friend promised. "I'll tell both of you about it."

"Good," Shaoran said, nodding. "We must always know where the others are. Remember, we don't really know what we're supposed to do yet. It might be dangerous."

Sakura nodded. It was an uncomfortable thought, but her boyfriend was right. Who knew what might happen now, what she would have to do... The Witch of Dimension had promised her help; she only hoped that it would come soon.

As if he had been reading her thoughts, Mokona gave a start and bounced towards her, looking excited. Sakura noticed his enormous eyes for the first time.

"They're near!" he exclaimed.

"Who?" she asked him, startled

"The people who will help you. Mokona can feel them!"

"Then what are you waiting for, meatbun?" Shaoran interrupted. "Take us with them!"

"Please," Sakura added, as the droid stuck at his tongue at her boyfriend.

"All right," he said. "Just follow Mokona!"

And with that, it bounced down from her arms and out of the building, with all three of them following closely.

o O o

"Are you all right?" Yue asked. "You look worried."

"Bad news again, huh?" Cerberus said, stepping closer.

Clow managed to smile at them, still a little distant. It was time. He tried to act normal, to _sound_ normal. If they realized how much this hurt him, they would never accept... but he had to do it. For their sake. For everyone's sake.

"No more than usual," he said. He paused, hesitating; but he couldn't go back. He had to do it, and he had to do it now. "I need to ask you two to do me a favour."

"Anything," said Yue, and for a moment Clow thought he didn't have the strength for this after all. It was only a second, however, and he quickly regained control of himself. Hadn't he always known that this day was coming? Hadn't he prepared for it, for years and years?

"There is someone who needs your help," he told them. "Someone out there."

Silence was the only answer. It took them a while to react; they just stared at him, confused, until understanding began to dawn on them.

"You don't mean that," the lion said slowly, frowning at him.

"I'm afraid I do, Cerberus."

"How can you ask that from us?" said Yue, and his voice was trembling. "You made us – we are supposed to stay with you. To help _you_."

"That is true," Clow said, running his fingers through the android's hair. "And, right now, the only thing you can do for me is to go with that child."

"I can't do this!" Yue exclaimed. "I can't leave you. I _won't_."

Clow caressed the top of his head, making an effort to smile at him.

"Please," he said softly. "I need you to help her. No one else can..."

"But..."

"Won't you do it for me?" he asked. Yue buried his face in his knees.

"You don't mean it," the droid insisted.

"He's right," Cerberus said. "It's not for you. It's never for you."

"Don't say such things," Clow chided him, but his voice had no strength. The lion rested his head on his lap, too.

"Why don't you think about yourself for a change?" he asked. "We can't leave you here alone."

"You must," said Clow. "Please. If you help that child, she can save us all."

"I don't care about anyone else," Yue whispered.

"That's not true," said Clow, smiling.

"It is..."

"If you help her," his master told him, looking at him in the eye at last, "then I can be free."

The android averted his gaze.

"Is that what you truly wish, then?" he asked, his voice shaking. "Don't you need us anymore?"

For a second – only for a second – Clow hesitated. He almost wanted to give eveything up, to forget about that world he wasn't a part of anyway, and keep them _here_ with him. But he couldn't do that. It had started already.

"I need you more than ever," he said, with a conscious effort to keep his voice steady. "Please. Help me."

Yue still looked wounded, but he didn't protest anymore. Smiling sadly, Clow caressed his hair one last time, and then there was nothing but a metallic winged moon shining on his hand. Cerberus nuzzled his master's side, too proud to ask him for a little petting, but he understood.

"Are you really sure about this?" the lion asked while he scratched his ears. "Are you sure it will work?"

"Everything will be all right," Clow promised in a whisper. The golden lion turned into a metallic shape, too, and he laid it on his knees beside his brother. It was done.

And it was just in time. Without giving him the time for regrets or second thoughts, the doors slid open. He didn't need to look up to know that it was Flowright who approached him.

"I'm sorry," the Councillor told him, sounding more sincere than he ever had.

Clow didn't look at him. He simply extended his hands, giving up the two sealed droids, his companions and his friends and his family.

"Do what you must."

o O o

Kurogane tapped his foot on the floor, staring into the long, empty hallway. This was ridiculous, really. Was that the confidential and extremely secret task he was supposed to do? Standing at the entrance of the high security wing?

And Flowright couldn't have just said that, no. He _had_ to go and challenge his whole worldview.

He wasn't even sure if he believed it. The Councillor did seem serious, and that was rather unusual in and of itself, but... it was too crazy. _Magic_, indeed. He snorted. Magic was for children's stories. It was something that couldn't go unnoticed, that they would have used in the war if it existed.

Then Flowright had mentioned the Seer, of course. But that was different. It was just... psychic abilities, or extrasensorial perception, or whatever fancy name people chose to give it. The important thing, in Kurogane's eyes, was that it was just a sense like any other. Some people see better. Some people hear better. So this guy was lucky or unlucky enough to see the future – but that didn't make it _magic_.

So where _was_ that stupid magic, anyway? Flowright hadn't been able to show him anything. That was the most suspicious of all. According to his own story, if one knew about magic it was because one had it. He was in the Council for that very reason, he claimed, to let the scattered rests of the magical community have a say in things, even if it had to be in secret. But he absolutely refused to do magic. Even a simple trick.

That wasn't exactly a convincing argument. And yet here he was, stuck waiting in a deserted hallway, just because. Sometimes Kurogane thought he was too hardworking for his own good.

After what felt like hours – or, at least, definitely _too long_ – the sound of footsteps echoed down the hall. Kurogane didn't deign to turn around and look. He simply waited until Flowright reached him. The Councillor was smiling again, yes, but his eyes betrayed him. That wasn't a good sign. Things couldn't be going well, if this idiot kept ruining his own cover several times in a day.

"Well," he said, and it was almost a sigh, "I got what I came here to get."

"Now what?" Kurogane growled. It wasn't as if he cared for the other man's cryptic remarks.

"Now," Flowright replied, "we wait for – ah!"

Kurogane looked to the hallway and saw a tiny droid, like an hyperactive white meatbun, bouncing towards them. Behind it ran a boy and two girls. He thought he vaguely recognized one, the one with the camera. Wasn't that Councillor Daidouji's daughter?

Before he could make sure of that, the droid bounced on his chest and then on top of his head.

"What the – ?"

"Mokona found them!" the creature shouted over Kurogane's voice. The kids stopped, looking both tired and embarrassed. The boy stepped forward, as if he was willing to take the blame, and he managed to sound more or less serious although his face was a deep shade of red.

"Please forgive us," he said. "The droid must be deffective."

Kurogane grabbed it by the ears and gave it to him. His companion, on the other hand, seemed rather pleased with the situation.

"Oh, I don't think so," he said. His stupid fake smile was back in action. "I am Councillor Flowright," he continued, bowing with an ease that made the girls giggle a little, "and this here is General Moody."

"That's not my name," Kurogane grumbled, but everyone ignored him.

"One of you is Sakura, right?" Flowright asked. "I have something for you."

The girl with short hair stepped forward, looking somewhat self-conscious, but not really surprised. Meanwhile, the Councillor took two metallic objects out of a pocket in his coat. One of them looked like a winged moon, and the other one like winged lion.

"Here," he said. "They'll help you."

"Umm..." Sakura said, now blushing even more, "what am I supposed to do with these?"

"They can tell you everything you need to know," he replied. "Take them somewhere people can't see you and break the seal on them. You'll like what you'll see, I promise."

"But it's a really powerful seal," Shaoran intervened. "And we don't know of which kind, or – "

"With her," Flowright said, winking, "she'll just have to want to."

"Thank you," Sakura said, her cheeks still a little red. The Councillor beamed at her.

"If you need us again," he explained, "Mokona can find us."

Kurogane didn't bother to hold back a groan. It didn't matter, anyway; it was obvious that nobody was paying attention to him. The kids thanked them and left. He could hear the boy scolding Mokona as they walked away, and that was perhaps the first thing he approved of in that horrible day.

"Well," he said. "That's it. I'm leaving."

"All right," Flowright told him. "I'll call you again if I need you."

"_What_?" Kurogane barked. "Why do _I_ have to get involved in this? I'm not one of those magical people of yours."

"It's not my fault, you know," the other man said. "She trusts you."

"Who's 'she'?"

"My boss," the Councillor said. "And you don't want to say no to her."

"Hmpff," was the best reply that Kurogane could come up with. Apparently, he didn't have a say in this at all, no matter how much he insisted. "Fine. But I'm not doing it for _you_."

"Oh, I know that," said Flowright mildly, and with one last small smile he walked away too.


	8. Chapter 7

**Author's Note: **It's back! Thank you for reading (and waiting), everyone. I'll try my best to post the next chapter by the end of this month, because I'll be working on NaNoWriMo in November. So, don't expect anything during that month, but remember that I won't abandon this story! I might be slow, but I've planned too much to let it go. :)

* * *

**Chapter 7**

Back at the storehouse, Sakura looked at the two sealed objects that Councillor Flowright had given her. She hadn't had the time to see them properly while they were talking, and she had been too embarrassed to pay attention to details, anyway. She hadn't been exactly _surprised_, not after the incident with Professor Mitsuki and the Key. But it still feel strange, having random Councillors look for her to give her things.

Now, however, she could take a better look at them. One of the objects was a moon with large wings around it. The design was simple, but at the same time it was beautiful and elegant. The other one had a feline face, with a helmet of some sort, and was also winged. She had never seen anything like them before.

The strangest thing about them, however, was not how they looked. It was how they _felt_. It was something similar as what she had felt when she first opened the book: there was a lot of energy coming from them. Now she knew that it was magic... She still couldn't quite believe it, but she knew it was the truth. The seals were so full of power that she didn't have trouble imagining a whole android hidden in each one of them.

"Why don't you try to break the seal?" Shaoran asked her, after a few moments of silence. It looked as if he couldn't control his impatience anymore. "That man said you would be able to do it, so..."

"I'm sure you can do it, Sakura," Tomoyo assured her from behind her camera. "And I wouldn't miss it for the world!"

Sakura blushed a little. She didn't like the idea of trying to do magic while Tomoyo filmed her. What if she failed and things went horribly wrong? She didn't even know what she had to do. All she wanted was someone to guide her... if it was true that these androids could help her, then she needed them more than ever.

The seal in her hands began to glow. She looked down, surprised, and realized that the lion-shaped object was getting brighter and brighter. It became warmer, too, until she had to let go; but it didn't fall as she had expected. It floated in front of her and she watched, enthralled, until the light coming from it became blinding – and then it suddenly stopped.

She blinked a few times, opened her eyes, and gasped. The creature that stood in front of her didn't look like an android at all; he seemed to be _alive_. It was a gorgeous lion, with large, golden wings and also golden eyes. He flapped his wings a few times, shook his head and stretched, as if he had just woken up from a long sleep. At last, he looked at Sakura and frowned.

"So you are _her_, huh?" he said. "You're small. No wonder he called you a child."

For a moment, she didn't know what to say, or even what he was talking about. He knew about her... but how? There were so many questions she wanted to ask, and she didn't know where to start. She was afraid to sound rude, too, since they had barely met. Which reminded her...

"My name is Sakura," she said at last, "Sakura Kinomoto. What is _your _name?"

"I'm Cerberus," he replied, puffing up his chest, until he seemed to realize that she didn't recognize the name. "They didn't tell you anything about us, did they?" he asked.

"Not really," she admitted, a little ashamed. "Flowright only said that you two would help us."

For the first time, Cerberus turned around and looked at the other two. He looked rather upset.

"He didn't say there'd be _many_ kids," he muttered. Shaoran turned red and gave a little start.

"Hey, I'm not a – "

"These are my friends," Sakura interrupted him, trying to avoid a fight so soon. "He's my boyfriend, Shaoran, and this is Tomoyo."

"Nice to meet you," Tomoyo said politely. Shaoran still looked angry, but at least he had caught the hint and remained silent, arms crossed over his chest.

"Cerberus, is it?" Sakura repeated slowly. "It sounds so formal..."

"Well," he began to say, "of course – "

"I think I'll call you Kero instead," she went on, beaming. "That's nicer. It's friendlier, don't you think?"

The android stared at her for a moment. Shaoran looked like he was trying very hard not to laugh. Tomoyo giggled.

"It's a very cute name, Sakura," she said. "I like it."

"Hmmph. All right. I guess."

"Thank you," Sakura told him. "Now I'm sure we'll be more comfortable."

"If you say so," he muttered. "Look, kid, here's the thing. He sent us here to help you, right? So we better get started. You should wake up Yue, too."

"Um, yes, I think so. Just... may I ask you something?" she asked. "Who is _he_?"

Now it was Cerberus who looked shock.

"You mean you don't know? No one told you he'd sent us?"

"They told us she'd get help," Shaoran intervened. "Nobody said what or from who."

"I see. Always that stupid idea of never explaining anything," the android muttered. "Well, 'he' is Clow Reed. The Seer. We used to be his security droids until this morning."

"Clow...?" Sakura repeated, astounded. "But... but that's impossible..."

"He lived two hundred years ago!" Shaoran exclaimed. Kero gave him a pointed look.

"What do you know about these things, brat? Yeah, he lived two hundred years ago. And he still lives now. Don't tell me you didn't know about the Seer."

"It's a little more complicated than that," Tomoyo said softly, trying to make things more peaceful. "Of course we knew about the Seer. We just didn't know he was Clow Reed."

"... _what_?"

"No one does," said Shaoran. "Not even the Lis. We all thought Clow was dead – I mean, he _disappeared_! Ages ago!"

"That's what my father told me, too," Sakura said, still frowning. "Nobody knows he is still alive. I don't think anyone knows his name. He's just – just the Seer."

Kero looked down, frowning. He remained silent for a few moments, and still looked upset when he spoke again.

"I don't understand," he admitted. "Yue and I didn't know much about the outside world, but... it still feels weird. It shouldn't be like this."

"I don't think anyone knows the truth, Kero," Tomoyo said softly. She looked quite thoughtful, as if she had remembered something. "Not even the Councillors themselves. Mother and Great-grandfather talk about the things he tells them all the time, but they never gave him a name."

"But why would people hide who he is?" Sakura asked, confused. "There's no reason to do that."

"Not now," Shaoran intervened. He was the serious heir of the Li clan again, confident in his knowledge of history. "But maybe there _was_ a reason two centuries ago. After all, nobody in the outside knew what had happened to Clow. It's obvious that, for whatever reason, someone kept it secret from the beginning. Perhaps the knowledge was just lost later on."

"I still think it doesn't make sense," Kero muttered. "But we'll worry about that later. We have more important things to do."

"Then," she said, "I think I should wake Yue."

As soon as she finished speaking, the second seal began to glow just like the other one had. The winged moon floated in front of her and, with a flap of wings, revealed the true form of the android. Sakura couldn't help but gasp when she saw him. He was beautiful.

Then he opened his eyes, and she could tell that he was also very sad.

"My name is Yue," he said, and his voice was cold as ice. "Are you the child that we must help?"

"I am," she stuttered, blushing. "I'm Sakura."

"Don't you be mean to her," Kero said. "It's not her fault."

"But – but he wasn't mean to me, really –" Sakura began to say.

Yue didn't reply. For a few seconds, he locked eyes with Kero. Both of them looked angry, and it seemed as if they were about to fight; but they didn't. In the end, Yue averted his gaze and turned to look at Sakura.

"I will help you," he said. "But only because _he_ asked me to."

It looked like Kero was going to say something, but Sakura didn't give him time.

"That's all right," she said, making an effort to smile. "I don't know what to do, so I'm grateful that you two are going to help me. The reason doesn't matter. But I think – I think perhaps we'll be friends someday. Yes, I'm sure we will."

Both androids stared at her for a while, looking rather surprised at her words. Yue seemed especially shocked; but it didn't last for long. He soon composed himself, adopting that cold expression of his once again.

"It's not important," he said at last. "We weren't sent here to make friends."

"We weren't sent here to trash her, either," Kero snapped.

"All right. What do you suggest we do?" Yue asked. "We don't even know _how_ we are supposed to 'help', Cerberus."

"I'll show you," Sakura told them.

Just as she had done the first time, she turned the key effortlessly and opened the book. Both androids looked shocked when they saw the Cards. Yue was frowning, and Kero's eyes widened for a moment.

"Wait a minute..." he muttered. "This can't be right. I'm sure I haven't seen these Cards before. He never had them with him."

"What?" Sakura asked in shock. "Do you mean that – that you don't know what to do, either?"

"That's not it," the lion said, shaking his head. "You see, that's the problem. I _know_ what to do. And I shouldn't."

"There is nothing to be surprised about," Yue intervened. His voice was cold, and he wasn't looking at them. "_He_ knew what we were going to do. Nothing else matters."

"What do you mean?" Tomoyo asked him.

"Clow must have programmed us to know about the Cards, to remember them when we needed to," he explained. "He was the Seer for a reason."

"But he didn't tell us anything about it," Kero said, still not quite convinced.

"Does that shock you, Cerberus?" he said. The lion frowned, and he didn't answer.

"But... you _can_ tell me what to do, can't you?" Sakura asked them. She was getting more confused by the second, and it looked the androids didn't exactly know what to think about the situation, either. In the end, Kero looked up.

"We can," he said. "Just not right now. There's a lot of memory coming back – we'll need to put our ideas in order before we can say anything helpful."

"That is true," said Yue, agreeing with the lion for the first time. "You should take the Cards with you, for the time being. It's safer that way."

"Are you sure?"

"That's a good idea," Shaoran said, nodding. "The witch said they're meant for you, so you should be the one who keeps them."

"All right, then," Sakura agreed. "Do you think you will have enough time, if I come back tomorrow?"

"It'll be enough," Kero assured her, before the other android could say anything.

"Then I promise I'll be here," she assured them, beaming.

"Mokona while stay with you in the meantime!" the tiny droid exclaimed, jumping in front of the other two. It looked like spending such a long time quiet had been quite a feat for him, and now he was bouncing all over his new friends, who stared at him with annoyance.

"Okay, but keep quiet!" Kero exclaimed. Yue just shot him an icy glare.

"You're so boring," Mokona sighed, but he was smart enough not to cross two large, strong, and already angry androids. He bounced back into his doll house and stayed there, sulking.

"He's nice when he's not being annoying," Sakura assured them.

"We should go now, Sakura," Tomoyo told her, after a quick glance at her watch. "It's late."

"Yes," she said, nodding. "I'll be back tomorrow."

Kero and Mokona said goodbye, but Yue remained silent as they left.

o O o

Once again, Kaho found him alone. But it was different this time. She knew that his androids weren't simply waiting in the next room; that they wouldn't come back to keep company to him as soon as she left.

They wouldn't come back at all.

In truth, she hadn't known _when_ it would happen, although she had Seen it. It was his face what gave it away. He looked sadder than usual, even more distant. He didn't turn to face her when she arrived and didn't say anything when she greeted him.

He was staring at one of the screens in front of him, and when Kaho followed his gaze, she had expected to see their figures. But they weren't there. The screen only showed an old storehouse full of toys. Perhaps they had just been there; perhaps they would be. For now, the place was empty.

"They will be in good hands with her," Kaho said at last, trying to cheer him up at least a little. But she didn't pretend she had anything good to say about his own well-being.

"I know," he whispered, still not looking at her. "I know."

"What happens now?" she asked.

"Things follow their course." He turned around to face her for the first time. "And, in time, everything will be all right. Not for you or for me, I'm afraid. But, for the world – it will be all right."

Kaho nodded without saying anything. His words hadn't upset her as much as they could have; she knew about that particular detail, after all. She had known for a long time now. By this point, it was almost easy to accept it. But that didn't mean she wanted to talk about it right then.

For a while, an uncomfortable silence filled the air, until Clow spoke again.

"There is something I must tell you, Councillor," he said.

"What is it?" Kaho asked, hoping to sound calmer than she felt. He took a few moments to reply, but at last he continued.

"I have enjoyed your visits very much, although it might not look like it sometimes," he told her. "I never quite learned to be alone. Your friendship was a blessing."

"It was good knowing you, too," she replied softly. "I am glad I could be your friend, even for a little time."

It was the closest thing to _goodbye_ they ever said.

o O o

Mokona was asleep on his doll bed already, and the storehouse was in silence. It looked strangely crowded, with all those toys in there, even if only three of the droids in there were active – and conscious. There weren't _regular_ droids, after all.

Had they been regular droids, they wouldn't have been so sad. But Cerberus shook that thought away immediately. He wasn't supposed to feel that way. It was just not his nature. He wondered if there was a way to make Yue understand that.

"So, what do you think? It's not _that_ bad, huh?" he asked.

"It is an appropriate place for us to be," said Yue, looking distant, "with the rest of the abandoned toys."

The lion sighed, with a mix of exhaustion and frustration.

"Don't start with those things, will you?" he said. "That's not what he meant. You _know_ that's not what he meant."

"He knew that we would leave him," Yue whispered, looking away. "He knew it since the moment he made us."

Cerberus stepped closer, sitting next to his brother, who didn't react. The lion held back a sigh. He hated seeing him like this, but there was nothing he could say...

"Maybe it's not that bad," he pointed out at last, although not too confident of his own words. "That's what he said. That he would be free."

"I think he was lying."

Cerberus didn't answer. What was the point? He knew that Yue was right. And it made him angry, angry at Clow for being such an idiot, and at himself for not telling him so when he had had the chance.

"It's not Sakura's fault, you know," he said, softly, after a while. Yue placed a hand on top of the lion's head, a strange attitude in him.

"I never said it was."

"Well, I'm glad to hear that," he mumbled. "She really does need us, you know. And..."

He trailed off, uncertain. His line of thought was proving to turn quite dangerous, and he wasn't sure if he wanted Yue to find out what he was thinking – unless Yue had already thought about it, too, which couldn't be any good. He wished he had stopped speaking one word earlier.

"What?" his brother asked, when the silence became longer than normal. He had that frown that was never, never a good sign. "What were you going to say?"

Cerberus sighed. It would be no use to pretend, anyway. He knew that trying to do so would only make Yue angry.

"I think," he said quietly, "that perhaps we also need _her_."

"I don't like that idea, Cerberus," Yue said with his coldest voice.

Figured.

"Look, I'm not saying you have to like it," the lion snapped, exasperated. "I'm not sure if _I_ like it, either. But I think maybe that's what Clow had in mind. He's weird like that."

"Then you are only proving my point," the other android whispered, "and he doesn't want us back."

Cerberus was silent for a while. That was a conclusion he hated to reach, but Yue _would_ think that way...

"I don't know," he said at last. "I don't know what he wants. Maybe he's just doing what he has to. Or what he thinks he has to. Who knows? We don't understand the way he thinks. He never told us enough."

Once again, there was a long silence. But this time it was Yue who broke it.

"I have a bad feeling about all this, Cerberus," he said. "A very bad feeling."

Cerberus hated to admit it, but he agreed.


	9. Chapter 8

**Author's Note:** Well, I made it on time:) Keep in mind that I'll be busy with NaNoWriMo during next month, though, so don't expect a new chapter until December. (_Early_ December, hopefully...)

* * *

**Chapter 8**

The sirens went off just as Sakura arrived home.

For a moment, she simply stood where she was, shocked; it wasn't until she heard her father call her name that she reacted. He took her hand and lead her into the basement.

She wasn't exactly afraid. The house was safe. It had a good security system – most houses had, these days – , like a miniature copy of what had been the Shield around the planet. Even if something happened to the house itself, which was already very improbable, the basement was prepared to keep them from harm. Immediate safety was not the problem.

The problem was that they were bombing the city.

This had never happened before. Never in her whole life; never in her father's life, even. The Shield had always been there. And even after it was gone, even when the enemies landed on the planet, they had always been far away... not _here_. Not at home.

She drew herself closer to her father's chest, and he put his arms around her, without a word. All around there were noises – the alarms in the house, the sirens outside, the bombs themselves. She didn't know how long it lasted.

It might have been forever.

o O o

Kimihiro was at the shop when it happened. He supposed most people would remember the sirens, or their houses' alarms, or the screams. He didn't. It was barely over, and he didn't remember anything. He had passed out as soon as it started.

It was very embarrassing, in a way, and he would have felt horribly ashamed if anyone else had seen him. But he was with Yuuko, and she understood. She knew what he _truly_ saw and heard and felt. So she didn't say anything when he woke up. She just sat there beside him, looking very serious, and offered him a cup of tea with something strong in it.

Kimihiro didn't say anything either. He tried to thank her, but his voice didn't come out. He was still very dizzy, even nauseous. The bombing was over, but the feel of it hadn't gone way. People were still terrified. People were hurt.

People were _dead_.

He felt as if he was going to throw up.

"It's all right," Yuuko told him as he sat up slowly and began sipping his tea. "It's over now."

"Yeah... yeah, I guess so," he mumbled. There were a few minutes of silence, and then he asked, "Will they come back?"

"Not very soon," she assured him. He nodded, or tried to, and winced. He had a very bad headache.

A few more minutes went by, and Kimihiro started being aware of his surroundings little by little. He was sitting on the couch, even though he distinctly remembered being on the middle of the room before he passed out. Maybe that was why the back of his head hurt so much; he must have bumped it on the floor when he fell. He wondered if it was Yuuko who moved him to the couch, or if the android girls helped her.

Then he saw the screen on the wall in front of him, and realized that Yuuko was watching the news. He almost wanted to ask her to turn it off, but he got caught up in it in spite of himself. Although not as bad as he had expected, it was an awful sight. The security systems on the houses seemed to work well, but even so, many buildings were destroyed.

And the people who had been outside, on the streets – no, he didn't want to think about that. He took another large gulp of his drink.

"It's horrible," he said, and he noticed that his voice sounded quite hoarse. Yuuko gave him a long, thoughtful look.

"You will stay here tonight," she told him at last. It wasn't a question.

Not that he would have said 'no', anyway. He didn't dare going outside, not while it was still like this. Besides, it wasn't as if there was anyone expecting him.

The news seemed to last for hours on end. They were broadcasting from all corners of the city, showing the devastation that was left; but that wasn't the worst part of all. The _names_ were. The list of the dead, going on and on, as more bodies were found and identified... Kimihiro was getting more and more nervous by the second.

"Why do you have it on?" he exclaimed at last. "I can't stand it anymore – "

"There is something I need to hear," Yuuko said. Her expression hadn't changed in all this time, and Kimihiro thought it was the most disturbing thing of all that had happened that day. If _Yuuko_ was so upset...

And then they said it. The most frightening news he had heard in his whole life; the single fact that made the war feel close and real.

" – _although we regret to confirm the rumours –_ "

"Rumours? What rumours?" he asked, but she shushed him.

" – _was_ _identified as Councillor Kaho Mitsuki_ – "

"A _Councillor_?" Kimihiro whispered, his voice shaking. "They killed a Councillor?"

"She was a good woman," Yuuko said, just before she stood up and left the room.

o O o

The funeral was cold and sad and it felt as if it would never end. It was full of people, but Sakura wondered how many of them were truly sad for Councillor Mitsuki and how many were there only because she had been important. It was true that she, herself, hadn't known her all that well. But she had known her enough.

She had been a good friend, and a good teacher. She had helped Sakura and her friends a lot. Touya had loved her, once, and Touya rarely showed his love for anyone. Sakura couldn't hold back a sob at the thought. Her father put a hand on her shoulder, soothing. Neither of them said anything; words seemed out of place.

A few moments later, Shaoran came pushing his way through the crowd. He looked exhausted when he greeted them, as if he had run all the way there. Knowing him, that was probably the case, Sakura thought as she hugged him. He patted her shoulder awkwardly.

"Are you all right?" he asked. "I thought you'd be here – I heard about it on the news – "

"So did we," she whispered. "I'm glad you came."

Shaoran stayed with them for the rest of the ceremony. Although the hours felt slower than ever, at last it came to an end. The crowd began to move and they followed in silence. However, before they could leave, Sakura heard someone call her name.

"Tomoyo?" she asked, looking around. Her friend finally reached them and grasped Sakura's hands in her own. She seemed unable to stop crying. They moved a little away from the others, as if Tomoyo had something private to tell her.

"I'm sorry, Sakura," she said. "I'm sorry. I have to go. I wish I could stay with you and help you, but I – I have to go."

"What do you mean?" Sakura asked. "Are you all right?"

"I am," Tomoyo promised her. "It's just – since this happened, we... it's just too dangerous. For Mother, and for her grandfather too... we have to go. And I can't tell you where. I don't even know it myself, yet, but even if I did – It's for everyone's sake, please understand that. They can't let _them_ win. They have to move the Council somewhere else so there isn't chaos."

"Don't worry," she said. "Please don't worry, Tomoyo. It will be all right."

"I only wish I could stay..."

"I'll write to you," Sakura assured her. "I'll tell you everything that's going on here, I promise. You can still help us that way."

Tomoyo managed to smile a little.

"Thank you," she whispered. "You always know how to make me feel better, Sakura."

"I just try my best," said Sakura, and held her friend in a tight hug.


	10. Chapter 9

**Author's Note:** Well, my NaNoWriMo story is done... and here's a new chapter of this one! Thanks for reading, and hope this is worth the wait. :)

* * *

**Chapter 9**

Sakura entered the storehouse alone. She didn't have time to say anything when Mokona jumped onto her arms, looking very worried.

"Are you all right?" he asked her, anxious. Sakura made an effort to smile and stroked his little head.

"It's okay. I'm not hurt," she said. "I wanted to see if _you_ were fine... It looks like the building has a good security system. I'm glad that nothing happened to you."

"This place is safe, so don't worry," Kero assured her. "But you don't _look_ okay. What happened? Your friends didn't get hurt, did they?"

"No. Tomoyo has to move," she added, and her voice shook a little, "but nothing happened to them. But – but someone I knew just died."

"Who?" asked Mokona. "Someone we know?"

"I don't think so," she answered. Then she realized something, and turned towards the Guardians. "Wait... maybe you _did_. She was a Councillor –"

"Councillor Mitsuki?" interrupted Yue, even paler than usual. Sakura nodded. He frowned and averted his gaze.

"Then," he whispered, "now he is truly alone."

"What do you mean...?"

"She was Clow's friend," explained Kero, who now looked just as sad as the other android. "She used to visit him..."

"And," Sakura asked tentatively, "can't _we_ go to see him?"

"To a high security wing?" Yue replied, his voice icy. "We can't get in there. Not without a Councillor."

"Mokona can find one!" the little droid exclaimed. "Remember what Flowright said?"

He shut his eyes tightly; it was obvious that he was concentrating. For several seconds, there was absolute silence. At last he opened his eyes again and looked up at Sakura, disappointed.

"Sorry," he said. "They're too far away. Mokona can't feel anyone."

"It's not your fault," she said, stroking his head. "Tomoyo said they were going away. Who knows where they are by now..."

"We can't do anything," whispered Yue.

But Sakura looked up at him, trying her best to smile. Now she had no hesitation left. She didn't want to see them so sad. She didn't want to see anyone sad, never again. There had been too much sorrow already.

"Not right now, we can't," she admitted. "But Clow wanted me to have the Cards. Then – then I'm sure I can do something to help him, and everyone else. Even if I still don't know what."

"If you really want to help people," Kero told her, "then you have to train. You must learn how to use the Cards"

"I only hope it doesn't take too long..." she began to say, a little uncertain.

"We're here to help you," the lion assured her. "I know you can do it, Sakura. Clow was sure that you could. And he was always right."

"We will help you," the other android agreed, nodding. His voice was low, and he didn't really look at her. But Sakura understood.

"Thank you," she told them, and she hugged them both in turn. There was a moment of uncomfortable silence, and then Yue spoke again.

"You should go home now," he said. "Your father must be worried about you."

"I'll come back tomorrow," Sakura promised. "I'll come to practice, but also to be with you two. I promise you I'll make you happy."

Yue looked surprised, but Kero simply grinned at her.

"I'm sure you will."

o O o

It was only the second day after the attack, but to Kimihiro it felt like weeks had passed since then. Everything had changed so much... It was as if people were finally realizing that they were at war, that even the big cities were going to be affected. A while ago, he had been sure that things couldn't get worse for him; he already saw all those monsters and spirits, after all, all those creatures born from fear and hatred. But it _had_ become worse. Everyone else was even more scared and angry now. It was almost impossible for him to walk through the streets now – unless he had company.

"Honestly," he said for the millionth time that day as he returned to his appartment, "I don't know why I have to be stuck to you of all people!"

"Because Yuuko said so!" Mokona replied from his backpack, laughing.

"As if a tiny droid like you is going to protect me..." he muttered. But Mokona didn't answer: he just run away.

"HEY! Where are you going?" he yelled.

The droid didn't listen, bouncing away through the crowd. Kimihiro followed, cursing and muttering to himself. This was just what he needed, more trouble! And things were about to get even crazier. Before he noticed, they had reached the huge building where the Council used to be.

"Oh, no," he groaned; but he kept running.

The place seemed to be empty, anyway. Some of the walls were broken and had fallen down. It looked like the security system had failed... or maybe the enemies had focused on this place. It was a horrible thought, and he shook it off as he got into a corridor. According to the sign on its entrance, it was a high security wing.

"Wait!" Kimihiro panted, running as fast as he could on the slippery floor. "We can't go in there!"

But it was too late. Mokona was already bouncing over the remains of the fallen walls, right next to a sliding door. With one last jump, it slapped its paw against the computer's screen.

The doors slid open.

For a moment, Kimihiro just stared ahead of him in disbelief. Wasn't this place supposed to be _secure_? How did Yuuko have a droid that could open its doors? Even worse: it was going inside now. He groaned, hoped that he wouldn't get in trouble for this, and climbed across the debris to follow it.

The first thing he noticed was the smoke. The whole room was like a thick, dark cloud. It gave him a coughing fit as soon as he entered. Suddenly, the air seemed to change; it was easier to breathe now. Still doubled over himself, he opened his eyes.

And he saw the chains. Dozens of them, all around, crossing each other. He could barely make them out on the still dark room, but they seemed to come from every corner, all over the walls. He followed them with his eyes. It looked like they all joined in the middle of the room...

Kimihiro gasped. There was a _man_ in there, in that awful place! He looked pale as death, which wasn't surprising, given his situation. He was petting Mokona, who had jumped into his lap and now was making happy noises. He looked up, staring at Kimihiro with an expression he couldn't quite read.

"I – I just – " the boy stammered. But, against everything he had expected, the man smiled at him.

"Don't be afraid," he said softly. "Please, come closer."

"I... I don't think I can," Kimihiro said, eyeing the chains that surrounded them. It would be impossible to reach the place where that man was sitting, unless one was of Mokona's size.

"They only bind me," the stranger told him.

"... huh?"

"You can pass through them," he explained. The boy hesitated for a moment, then waved a handacross one of the chains. Apparently he_ could_ pass through them.

"How is this possible?" he asked, confused, as he walked towards the middle of the room.

"They are in my mind," the man said. "You are the first person I meet who can see them."

_Wow, your mind must be a nasty place_, Kimihiro thought. But he controlled himself.

"Yeah," he muttered, "I have a knack for seeing stuff I'd rather not."

The stranger smiled at him.

"I think you and I have a few things in common, Kimihiro," he laughed. The boy stared at him.

"How do you – ?" he began to say, but he managed to add two and two together before he finished the question. "Are you the Seer?" he asked instead.

"My name is Clow," he replied distantly, looking down at Mokona as he petted its head. He seemed hurt somehow. Kimihiro squirmed.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I didn't mean to be rude."

"It's all right," he told him, smiling again. The boy looked away for a moment, still a little confused. Then he noticed something that, with his shock, he hadn't thought about before.

"But – but why are you still here?" he exclaimed, worried. "There's no one else in the building! They can't just leave you here, can they?"

Clow lowered his gaze.

"The Council had to be moved. It was for everyone's sake," he said. "They had no choice."

"But why didn't they take you with them?" Kimihiro asked.

"I can't leave this place."

The boy didn't dare to ask why. He didn't quite understand what was going on, but he didn't want to risk upsetting him again. So he just changed the subject, commenting on the first thing that crossed his mind.

"There is less smoke than before," he said. It was still quite a lot, but not nearly close to what he had first seen.

"You are doing it," Clow said. Kimihiro blinked.

"Huh? That can't be right," he muttered. "I never take these things away. I make them worse, if anything."

"You are making me feel happier."

Kimihiro blushed deep red.

"Oh, but I just – I didn't really _do_ anything..."

"Would you stay with me for a while?" Clow asked him. The boy stared at him, taken aback. He hadn't been expecting that... But there was something in his eyes, such loneliness – and Kimihiro was sure that he'd drown himself in smoke if he said no. He smiled at him with all the cheer he could muster.

"Sure."


	11. Chapter 10

**Author's Notes:** ... it's alive!!! I've been very, very blocked for this story, but now the writer's block is gone _at last_. It was one of those very annoying feelings when you know what's going to happen, but not how to put it in words. Gaah. On the plus side, this chapter is considerably longer than the usual, so enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 10**

"The first thing you have to learn," Kero told her, "is how to use your staff."

"But I didn't get any staff!" Sakura said, already nervous. She wasn't expecting to be successful in her first lesson, but this was worse than she had imagined. "All I have are the Cards... I didn't know I needed a staff to use them."

"That can't be right," the lion muttered. "I'm sure you must have one. That's what this stupid memory program tells me, at least."

"He's right," Yue intervened. "It's the only way to activate them. If Clow thought you were ready, that means you _are_ ready. The staff might be concealed."

Sakura thought about it for a few moments.

"The only other thing I have," she said at last, "is the key."

"That's it!" Shaoran said. He jumped up, excited, and took something that he wore around his neck. "I can't believe I didn't think about it. Maybe it works like my sword. Look."

Sakura had seen that amulet many times before; he always carried it with him, ever since she could remember. But it was shining now, and in a matter of seconds Shaoran was holding a sword in its stead.

"Awesome!" Mokona cheered, clapping.

"Yes, that was really great!" Sakura exclaimed in amazement. "Will you teach me how to do that?"

"Well, I'm not sure what you have to do is exactly like this," he replied, suddenly looking a little embarrassed. "Clow's magic was mixed with technology, so it's different from mine. I'm not sure I could use it."

"I wouldn't count on it," said Kero. The look he was giving Shaoran made the boy frown and turn even more red. "But I think you were right about that key. Let me see..."

Sakura fumbled a bit in her handbag and finally took out the small, pink key. The Guardians inspected it carefully.

"Yes," Yue said softly, "Clow used to have this. It's full of his magic."

"Is it?" she asked. He gave her a stern look.

"You should be more careful with it. You cannot risk losing it."

"I'll wear it around my neck, like Shaoran does," she promised. "But... how do I turn it into a staff?"

"I can help you with that," Kero told her, grinning.

Before Sakura could notice it, the key had started to float, just as the lion began speaking.

_Key of the Seal – _

there was a powerful light now, a strong wave of magic _– _

_here is the one who wishes to enter in a contract with you, a girl named Sakura – _

the key started to grow before her eyes _– _

_Key of the Seal, the girl is standing before you_ _– _

now she could almost touch it _– _

_release! _

It was like a blur of sound and colour, as if nothing around her was real anymore. She was in the middle of magic itself. Far away, like a distant whisper, she could hear Kero telling her to _take it, Sakura, take the staff_!

Startled into consciousness, she reached out and put her hand around the pink staff. The wave of magic disappeared; she was aware of her surroundings again. And she felt exhausted. Stumbling, she sat down on a toy stool, while Shaoran approached her in a hurry. He seemed so upset that Sakura couldn't help wondering how did she look like.

"Are you all right?" he asked, anxious.

"I'm fine," she assured him. "Just a little tired."

"It's the magic," explained Yue. "It was a great effort for your first time. Perhaps we shouldn't start practicing on the Cards yet."

"But I _have_ to!" said Sakura. "I really can't waste time. Maybe if I just rest a little..."

"It's no use to stress yourself too much," Shaoran told her. He tried to sound stern, but she could tell he only spoke like that to hide his worry. So she smiled at him, reassuring.

"It's not that bad," she said. "I'm feeling better already. In a couple of minutes I'll be as good as new."

"You aren't ready yet," Yue insisted. "You aren't strong enough."

"But she'll never be strong enough if we don't let her try, now will she?" Kero snapped.

For a couple of minutes they just stared at each other, in a tense silence. No one dared to say a word; not even Mokona, whose eyes darted from one Guardian to the other. At last, Yue nodded.

"You should start practicing with something relatively easy," he said. "And harmless. Some of the Cards can be very dangerous; no one would be able to control them the first time."

Sakura nodded. She took the deck and looked at it thoughtfully, trying to choose a Card that didn't look like trouble. At last, she smiled and showed one of them to the Guardians.

"Glow sounds safe, right?"

"Good idea," Kero said. "Let's give it a try."

"So, what do I have to do?" she asked.

"Once you've released the staff, you can use any of the Cards," he told her. "But it won't be easy the first few times. They've got Clow's magic in them, and he's very powerful. It's going to take a lot of effort until you manage to control them."

"I'll do my best," Sakura promised. The lion nodded.

"All right, then. Hold the staff in your hands, and just repeat after me..."

"_Card created by Clow, transfer your powers to the key and lend them to me – Glow_!"

Nothing happened. The Card slowly floated down to Sakura's hand while she watched in disappointment.

"Don't worry," said Shaoran. "You'll do it when you've practiced some more."

"Maybe it _was_ too early," Kero began to say, but she interrupted.

"No," she said with a determined look, clutching the staff next to her chest. "I have to do this. I have to keep trying."

"You can do it, Sakura!" Mokona cheered. "But you don't have to do it right now. Take your time."

"Thanks," she said, smiling, "but I really want to do this. Clow waited a very long time until I was ready to get the Cards. The least I can do is work hard now."

"Let her try, Cerberus," Yue intervened. His sudden change of attitude was unexpected; even the other Guardian looked surprised by it. "She means it. So let her try."

"Fine," he muttered. "But let us know when you're tired, Sakura, all right? If you get too drained on the first day you won't be much help either."

"I promise," she said. "Let's see if it works this time..."

She closed her eyes and repeated the chant. Before she dared to look at what was happening, she _felt_ the magic, felt it flow through her. It wasn't as strong as it had been when Kero released the staff, but it was definitely there. At last, she opened her eyes.

The tiny figure of a woman was floating in front of her, the same one that was drawn on the Card. Except that, this time, she was _real_. Although she didn't look very solid, she wasn't a drawing anymore...

"Keep it up!" she heard Kero shout. "You're almost there!"

But it was too late. She wasn't prepared to keep the magic working. With a disappointed look, Glow returned to her Card form.

"This is even more difficult than I thought," Sakura sighed.

"Magic can be very tiring at first. It takes a lot of training to get used to it," Shaoran explained. "If you practice often, soon you won't feel so exhausted."

"Do you really think so?" she asked. Shaoran nodded, and she smiled. "Then I'll try a few more times!"

It took her three more tries, but she didn't give up until she could keep Glow floating steadily in front of her. The Card grinned at her; she looked quite happy to be free for a while.

"You're very pretty," Sakura told her. "I can't believe I did it..."

"Well," Kero muttered, "not to be all disappointing or anything, but... there's more to it, you know."

She looked horrified in spite of herself.

"_More_? What do you mean?"

"It's not just that she glows herself," he said. "She can send spheres of light all over the place, if you have enough power."

Glow nodded, smiling. Sakura held back a sigh. This wasn't what she had expected...

"All right," she said. "If I try and fail, what's the worst that can happen?"

"She'll go back to her Card form until you call on her again," Yue explained. "It won't hurt her."

"Good," said Sakura. Without any other delay, she went straight to the next step. "Please, share your brightness with us – _Glow_!"

There were a few sparks here and there, but it still wasn't enough. The Card looked almost apologetic; Sakura sighed, exhausted.

"It's a good start," Shaoran told her. "Maybe now you should rest..."

"No," she insisted, shaking her head, and turned to the Guardians. "Does _she_ get tired?"

"Only as much as you do," said Kero.

She clutched the staff and tried again – and again, and again. It was no use. The best she could do was send two or three shining spheres floating towards the ceiling, but that wasn't what was supposed to happen. She was beginning to get truly tired now, and remembered Kero's advice. But she couldn't give up yet. No, she told herself, she had to make this Card work. There was so much that depended on her... She thought of all the hopes that Clow and Professor Mitsuki had put on her, and felt a new strength grow inside of her.

She could do this. She was absolutely sure that she could.

"Make everything around us shine," she exclaimed, "_GLOW_!"

Just as she finished speaking, the room filled with soft greenish light. When her eyes grew accustomed to it, Sakura noticed that there were small spheres all around. Mokona jumped all over the place trying to catch them, with Glow floating close beside him. Kero looked up and grinned at her.

"That was great, Sakura! You're a natural!"

"It was sloppy," Yue corrected. "You will need a lot of practice."

Sakura looked from one to the other, confused. She trusted Yue's judgement, and she hadn't expected to get things right so soon; but Kero sounded sincere in his praise. Shaoran sighed and took away the doubts.

"They're both right," he said. "You have to work on your technique, but your raw power is impressive."

"Then I'll keep practicing, like you said," she told him. "I know this was one of the easier Cards to handle, but I'll try my best to get better in time. I just wish we could tell Tomoyo about this..."

Shaoran started, giving Mokona a strange look.

"Maybe there's a way."

Kurogane could see them coming far before they saw _him_; he was sure of that. Those two kids might have been as average as they came, but it was impossible to miss that annoying meatbun of an android that came bouncing in front of them. He frowned, wondering what they wanted this time, and he was wearing his most menacing expression when they arrived.

"Look, kids," he snapped before they could even speak to him. "I'm on duty. Go away."

"Um, please," the girl stammered, "it'll be just a moment..."

"We need your help," the boy intervened, barely more confident than her. "Councillor Flowright said we could ask Mokona to find you."

Now it was the girl who spoke again, still blushing and looking at her feet.

"It's just, we thought – Mokona said he could find you and Councillor Flowright, and we thought _he_ could find Councillor Daidouji, and she could give this letter to Tomoyo..."

"Well, he's not here, is he?" Kurogane told them. Trust that ridiculous man to give him trouble, even when he wasn't near. "And I'm not telling you where the Council is."

"We wouldn't ask for that," said the boy, looking offended. "We just... well..."

"Maybe you could give the letter to Councillor Daidouji," the girl finished his thought.

"You want me to be your messenger?" asked Kurogane. She beamed at him.

"Please?"

Kurogane stared at them for a second. Then he snatched the letter from them, grumbled something unintelligible, and shooed them away.

For several days, Kimihiro took Mokona to the high-security wing every afternoon. Yuuko even let him leave early without him asking. He wondered if she knew where he was going; he decided that she did, and also that he wasn't going to ask how. It was as pointless as asking Clow why did Mokona act so familiar with him. _Mokona has a story_, the droid had said once, but Clow had called it "a story for another day" and nobody had insisted.

In any case, Kimihiro knew that there were better things he could do than wonder about those mysteries. He could always make himself useful.

"I brought you something to eat," he said. "Um - I mean - not that you're starving or anything, I know that. I just... I thought you'd like some chocolate cake," he finished, defeated. One day he'd have to learn to talk like a normal person. But Clow just took his present and smiled.

"Thank you," he told him. "You're such a thoughtful child."

"It's nothing," Kimihiro mumbled.

"An android usually takes care of my food," Clow continued, somewhat distracted. "It brings me anything I want, of course. I just have to ask. But tasting something made by a human is always better."

"Oh," the boy said, "I'm not that good, really..."

"It's delicious," he interrupted; and judging from his expression, he meant it. "I can tell you put all your effort when you made this. You must love cooking"

"I do," Kimihiro admitted, smiling a little. "My dad taught me. He really enjoyed it."

"I miss it sometimes. I used to love cooking too, once," Clow said wistfully. "And I was good at it. Now I can't remember anything."

For a moment, Kimihiro had a mental image of himself visiting a cozy apartment instead of this awful place, and of Clow receiving him with cake and a smile that wasn't so painful.

"May I ask you something?" he blurted out before he could stop himself. He immediately regretted it, but it didn't seem to bother Clow at all.

"Anything."

"Well," he went on, "I can't help but wonder... Mokona can open those doors, right? I'm coming here every day, and I can get in and out whenever I want. Why didn't you ever just - just try to get out of here with us?"

Clow looked at him with a sad smile.

"I cannot leave," he said.

"But why not?" Kimihiro insisted. "There's nobody guarding this place. And you've told me you lost contact with the Councillors. If there's anything you can do to help, I'm sure you can also do it from somewhere nicer."

"It's not that I _shouldn't_ leave," Clow explained, shaking his head. "I _can't_."

He stood up and, with an obvious effort, walked towards the door. It was as if he truly had to wade through those bounds his mind.

"Open the door for me, Mokona," he said.

"Clow..."

"Please," he insisted.

The droid looked sad, but did as he was told. Before Kimihiro's surprised sight, the doors slid open. Clow lifted his right hand and pressed it against what seemed to be just the air. Then, as if awakened by his touch, countless rays of an electric blue appeared inside of the open frame.

"Don't you see, child?" he whispered. "I cannot leave."

Mokona buried his face against Clow's shoulder.

"A force field?" the boy asked, confused, approaching the door. "But I can pass through it..."

He waved his arm across the opening. It was still possible, even now that he could see the field. In a fit of thoughtlessness, a mad idea crossed his mind. He didn't give himself time to think better about it. He just grabbed Clow's hand and ran through the door.

It didn't work. He had to stop dead, and when he turned around he saw his friend smiling at him, resigned, still holding his hand from the other side of the field.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, embarrassed and disappointed. "I had to try. I just thought if it only worked for you, maybe - maybe it was like those chains..."

"It works only for me, yes," Clow said softly. "But it's not in my mind. It's real."

"I don't understand," he mumbled.

"Come back in, Kimihiro. Please."

He looked up and tried to smile a little. As soon as he entered, Clow turned around from the door and returned to his usual place.

"Do you know how the Shield used to work?" he said. "It let our ships pass through it, but not the enemy ones. This is similar... like a miniature copy, in a way. It knows who can go through it and who can't. They used the same technology - and the same magic - to set it up."

"There must be a way..."

"If there was a way to work around it, I would know," said Clow, now very serious. "I've tried, child. I've tried for two hundred years."

"But the Shield is broken, isn't it?" Kimihiro insisted. "There _has_ to be something that can help you. Maybe someone out there knows what to do."

"It's not the same. It took two whole centuries of bombing to tear a small opening in the Shield. And - " He stopped mid-sentence, as if it hurt him to go on. At last, he covered his eyes with his hand and sighed. "No one can help. No one knows this field better than I do."

"What do you mean?"

Still with Mokona buried against his chest, Clow looked up.

"I created the Shield, Kimihiro."

"... _what_?"

"It's _my_ work. _My_ magic. I kept the world safe, I _saved_ them all and they turned it against me..." He trailed off, looking away, and when he spoke again his voice was barely a whisper. "Listen, child. There is no way to take me out of here, and it's better for everyone if you don't try. Kaho understood that."

"But," Kimihiro insisted, "there has to be something I can do..."

Clow turned to him and smiled, the saddest of his smiles yet.

"You can come to talk to me and bring me chocolate cake."


	12. Chapter 11

**Author's Note:** Here I go again, slow but steady. :P We finally get to find out a liiittle bit about the villains in this chapter.

Oh, and because I know people will ask: Soel is white Mokona and Larg is black Mokona. This info comes from the "Soel to Larg" book.

* * *

**Chapter 11**

Kimihiro had a bad feeling even before entering that awful room, and as soon as he crossed the door he could tell he was right about that. There was barely any smoke this time (although the chains were there; they always were), but the reason was that Clow's mind wasn't working properly.

He wasn't sure it was working at all.

His friend was sitting on his armchair, as usual; but he looked paler than ever, and his eyes were closed. Kimihiro could tell that he wasn't sleeping. He wasn't _dead_ – even if he'd looked like it, a little, at first – but he wasn't asleep either. His breathing was too fast; his hands were trembling. It wasn't a nightmare.

"Is he in a trance?" he asked Mokona, who nodded with a worried look. "What... what do I _do_? I've never seen someone – "

"Nothing!" the droid interrupted him, even more worried now. "We can't wake him up!"

"But, he's – "

"Just... wait," said Mokona.

Kimihiro wasn't very convinced, but he didn't dare to do anything. What if it did hurt him? He just hoped this wouldn't last too long. It looked like it was really nasty...

He barely held back a scream when Clow grabbed his hand. It wasn't over yet, he realized. Those feverish eyes were looking past him.

"You will lose this war, I told him," Clow whispered, his voice shaking. "No matter what, you will lose. But he smiled and said to me, I will watch you die in this place. And he was right. He was right. He's _watching_."

"Who?" the boy asked, more frightened by the second. "Who's watching?"

The grip on his hand loosened. Clow blinked a couple of times; his eyes seemed to focus.

"Kimihiro..."

"Who's watching?" he insisted.

There was a long silence. His friend looked away, staring at the screens.

"The man who made me a prisoner," he said at last. "The same man who is commanding those ships."

"... _what_?"

"It's a long story, child, and I'm not up to such an effort right now."

"But – but you're helping our side!"

Clow looked up at him sadly, smiling a little.

"My heart is on your side," he replied. "But he knew as well as I that I'm not helping anyone. I can't."

"Don't say those things!" Kimihiro exclaimed. "There's a reason you're here. You've been helping us all this time!"

"The reason I am here," said Clow, "is to make people feel safe. To make him get away with what he wants, because you have the Seer, and then why should anyone worry? Don't fool yourself, child. Don't let this pantomime blind you like it blinds everyone else."

"But..."

"I cannot change anything," he went on. "Even when I warn them about what the enemy will do, the results are the same. What difference do I make?"

Kimihiro didn't know what to answer. He bit his lip, just so he wouldn't yell at him; Clow was shaken enough without that. But he refused to believe it. It made no sense, no sense at all. Why would someone do this to him, if they were going to attack the planet anyway? Why even _pretend_?

"Does anyone know?" he asked at last. "Does anyone know that it's the same person?"

"Yuuko does."

"_What_?" he exclaimed. "But then she should be _doing_ something – "

"And what do you know about what she does or doesn't do?" Clow interrupted him, still looking distant, but now with a hint of amusement in his expression. "We are taking care of things, Kimihiro. We've been taking care of everything since before you were born. That's why we made the Mokonas, long ago, before it was too late for me."

He patted the droid's head slowly. Mokona looked rather smug, which only added to Kimihiro's confusion; he had the feeling that the stupid meatbun knew more about the war than he did. Besides, the hint about Yuuko's age was threatening to break his brain. He vaguely knew that people with great magical abilities could live longer, just like Clow and whoever was sending those ships, but he'd never imagined that _Yuuko_... actually, he didn't want to think about it right now. He chose to ask something different instead.

"Mokona is supposed to help us, then?"

"Both of them are," Clow replied. "Larg brought you here, because we needed to meet each other. And Soel... ah. You can see for yourself."

Kimihiro turned around, trying to follow his eyes, but he got too confused among all the screens. Then Mokona jumped off Clow's arms and pointed at one of them.

"Look!"

The boy approached the small screen, trying to get a better view. Sure enough, the white Mokona was there. There was also a boy that he knew, the one who had come to Yuuko's shop a while ago; he remembered his name was Shaoran. But there were more people with them: a girl who looked about Shaoran's age, and two strange but beautiful droids.

"Who are they?" he asked, turning to Clow. His friend had an unreadable expression, as if he was trying very hard not to let any emotion show.

"The child's name is Sakura Kinomoto. And she can change the world," he said, "if we help her. That is why I sent them there... that is why they had to leave."

"You mean the androids," Kimihiro muttered, almost talking to himself. "They used to be yours, didn't they?"

"They used to live here. But they were never _mine_. They are alive, child, never forget that."

"So, you weren't always alone..." he whispered. "But then, why...?"

"We are at war, Kimihiro," Clow said, not really looking at him, and his voice was cold. "Everyone has to make sacrifices. This was mine."

"But they can still see you, can't they?" the boy asked. "I mean, _I_ can come in. Even if they must stay with Sakura now, I'm sure they could come and visit you."

"They will never have such a thought," his friend replied softly. "I made sure of that. And if someone else does, they will always find a reason not to come."

For a few moments, Kimihiro just stared at him, dumbfounded. This couldn't mean what he thought it did...

"You _programmed_ them not to come?" he asked at last. "_What were you thinking_?"

"I will not hurt them," said Clow, unaffected by the outburst. "I will not part from them twice."

"That's the _stupidest_ reasoning I've ever heard!" Kimihiro exclaimed. "Is that why Yuuko doesn't come either, even if she knows you? Did you ask her not to come?"

"I made her promise."

"You're crazy."

"Perhaps," he said. He still didn't seem upset, but maybe he was just making an effort not to show it. Kimihiro didn't really care anymore. He would have scolded him big time, but then he noticed that Mokona was tugging at his sleeve and looking ridiculously sad.

"Well, you won't get rid of _me_ so easily," he muttered, storming out of the room, and then he turned around again to shake his finger at him. "And I'll be back tomorrow. With _cake_."

o O o

Days passed, and then they turned into weeks. Sakura felt she wasn't making a lot of progress. So far, she had only practiced with mostly harmless Cards: she could easily control Glow, Flower and Jump by now, and she was still trying to make the effect of Shield last for more than a few seconds. The problem was that there were some Cards who didn't look dangerous, but according to Kero and Yue were very difficult to manage. Mirror and Illusion were some of these.

Sakura trained as much as she could, considering that she still had to go to school, and even on her free time she couldn't disappear for a very long time without her father wondering about it. She usually used the hours when he was still teaching at the university, or travelling home; she and Shaoran went straight from school to the abandoned storehouse, and then she arrived at her house just in time not to be missed.

But that didn't leave her with a lot of training time, and now she felt that it was beginning to show. She wasn't going nearly as fast as she wanted. Shaoran reassured her, telling her that she was trying to do very difficult things and that it was even harder because she hadn't started as a child. But she couldn't help thinking about the war and wondering how much time did she _really_ have. She still wasn't quite sure of what the purpose of using the Cards was, after all.

The Guardians never scolded her; they knew she was doing her best. However, she noticed that Kero looked impatient from time to time, and Yue often frowned as if he had expected more from her. Mokona, on the other hand, simply bounced around all over the place.

"You're going to do it, Sakura!" he cheered for the millionth time, after she failed at casting Shield around her _again_. She sighed, resigned.

"I think I might be trying too hard," she muttered. "Maybe I should start with something smaller..."

"Keep it up, keep it up," the tiny android chanted.

Now he was trying to climb up Yue's arm to his shoulder. The android grabbed him by the ears and presented him to Sakura.

"How about _this_?" he asked.

"Of course!" she exclaimed, suddenly lightening up. "That's a great idea! You don't mind, do you? It won't hurt you."

"Mokona will help, because Mokona is very very kind," he replied, not before he turned around to stick out his tongue at Yue. But then he stood still at last, waiting for Sakura to perform the spell.

"All right," she said almost to herself, "let's try this again... _SHIELD_!"

The Card turned into a small, translucent dome above the droid. Mokona clapped, and Sakura couldn't hide her accomplished grin.

"I think I really got it right this time! Try to get out, I want to see if it's working properly."

Mokona bounced in his place a little, but didn't manage to move out of the dome. Shield _was_ doing its work.

"It's working!" he cheered. "Sakura did a great job!"

"Now you just have to practice on bigger things," said Kero. "But this is a great start. I think it won't take you too long until you really master this one, Sakura."

"Can we keep him in there?" Shaoran asked hopefully. Yue tilted his head.

"It _would_ be a good way to find out how long does the effect last..."

"Don't be mean to Mokona," the droid complained. "You're just too boring."

"Aw, don't worry," Sakura told him. "I'm too tired to keep it up for much longer, anyway. I'm afraid you all will have to learn to get along."

"I don't know why they complain so much. He's not _that_ bad," Kero intervened. "At least he's fun."

"Kero loves Mokona!" he exclaimed, throwing himself at the lion's neck.

"Hey! That's _not_ what I sa– get off me!"

Yue sighed. After some failed tries, he managed to take the little droid away from the other one.

"Behave," he warned him. Mokona pouted.

"Please, don't annoy them too much," Sakura asked him. "I know you just want to play with them, but you're so... uh, energetic."

"Awww. Okay," he sighed. "Mokona will be good."

"Thank you," she said. "Shaoran and I have to go now, so _please_ try to be nice to each other, all right?"

"I'll make sure of that," Yue promised, giving the others an icy look. They stuck out their tongues at him at the same time, but he ignored them.

Sakura shook her head at them, defeated. It seemed there was nothing to do about their attitude.

"All right, then, see you tomorrow. Do try not to kill each other while we're gone," she sighed.

The others said goodbye to her and Shaoran, and they left at last. As much as she enjoyed spending time with the Guardians, Sakura couldn't wait to get home. She was exhausted. All that training took a lot of effort from her part, and so far it didn't even show many results.

"It's strange," she mused, while she and Shaoran walked to her house. "I _know_ I'm doing my best, but still... sometimes I feel as if I wasn't working hard enough. No, it's not quite that –" she continued, before her boyfriend could interrupt. "Maybe it's not the amount of effort that's a problem, you know? Maybe it's the focus... aw, I'm not sure I'm explaining it the right way."

"No, I think I get it," he replied. "It's all been more or less random so far. The Guardians can teach you the techniques, but not what you need to do with the Cards."

"Yes, that's it!" she exclaimed. "You explain it so much better... it must be all that training you already had. I think things would be a lot easier if someone had taught me since I was little. But back then I didn't even know I had these powers."

"It's no use worrying about that now," said Shaoran, shrugging. "You're working very hard. And I've told you, your raw power is impressive. I'm sure you'll do just fine."

"Thanks," she told him, with a small smile. "I'm really trying. It's just... I wish I had clearer goals, or something like that. Perhaps I should try to use the Cards for something more concrete than this. I think it'd be easier that way."

"We'll think of something," he assured her. "Like what you did with Shield and Mokona today. That was a good idea, and it worked."

"How did _you_ train when you were little? Sakura asked him, curious. "Maybe we could take some ideas from that."

"Not if we want to do it quickly," said Shaoran, pulling a face. It seemed he didn't remember his training fondly. "I spent a lot of time perfecting techniques... Besides, it's a different kind of magic. I worked with ofuda and the like. But the Cards have a bit of technology mixed with their magical power, that's why you need to use that staff."

"Then I guess we'll have to come up with new ideas," she said with a grimace. It was something else to worry about.

They didn't speak much more on their way home; not about anything important. It felt like ages since they had time for small talk, to joke around or chat about simpler worries like schoolwork or sports. Now they were both too worried to think about that. Sakura didn't blame her boyfriend for his silence; she couldn't think of anything lighter to talk about, either.

At last they reached her house. She invited him in, and they discovered that her father hadn't come back from work yet. The mail had arrived, however. There was an envelope on the mailbox, addressed to her, but without the name of the sender. Sakura tore it open and gave it a quick look. Her face lightened as she read the content.

"It's a letter from Tomoyo!" she exclaimed at last.

"Does she say anything important?" asked Shaoran, looking curious.

"She says hello to you, to the Guardians and to Mokona," she replied. "She can't tell us where she's living now, but she and her family are all right. They're at a safe place. Then she says she doesn't have much news on her side, but that she liked hearing from us. And she wishes us good luck with our work."

"I'm glad to hear she's all right," he said. "It took her a while to answer, I was getting worried. I guess it's not so easy for her to write."

"And there were no other letters with it..." Sakura mused thoughtfully. "I think this didn't come with the regular mail system. Maybe she told that nice General to bring it here."

"That 'nice' General?" Shaoran repeated, raising his eyebrows. "If that's what she did, I bet he didn't like it. But I can imagine Councillor Daidouji asking him to do something like that."

"Ah well, it doesn't matter _how_ it happened," she said, beaming. "I'm glad to know from her! I'll answer right away. Tomorrow we'll ask Mokona to find those people again."

"... do you really think that's a good idea?"

"I can't leave Tomoyo without news!" she insisted, and ran up the stairs to find something to write.

o O o

Yuuko exhaled a ring of smoke, looking thoughtfully at her employee. Watanuki was in a bad mood – worse than usual, even. If he kept cleaning with such force he'd end up breaking half her merchandise. He kept fighting with Maru and Moro, even though this time they weren't provoking him, but at the same time he was oddly kind to Mokona. The tiny droid looked rather downhearted, too. It had curled up next to her and barely said a word in the whole afternoon.

It wasn't hard to guess who was the cause of this. She wondered if Watanuki realized how much she knew about his daily escapades, but it wasn't her place to ask. The hours he spent at the high-security wing were someone else's responsibility. On the other hand, whatever happened there wasn't supposed to affect _her_ own time with the boy. There wasn't much she could teach him if his brain was somewhere else all day.

Then again, she couldn't blame him. Thinking about Clow depressed her, too.

"When you're done with that, Watanuki," she told him, "how about a nice snack?"

"_What_?" he asked. "You're treating me like a _slave_, did you know that? You should _at least _give me a pay rise!"

But then he stomped into the kitchen, anyway. Yuuko petted Mokona, who at least looked amused now, and smiled. Nothing like a good day's work to keep problems out of one's mind.

Watanuki should be grateful.


	13. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

"Hey, handsome."

Kurogane twitched. He swore under his breath, clenched his fists, and reminded himself that he was dealing with a Councillor and couldn't simply punch him in the face. Only then did he turn around.

"_What_."

"How's little Sakura doing?" Flowright asked, leaning against a wall as if he had no other concerns in the world than annoying him.

"First of all, I don't _read_ the letters I deliver," he replied. "And second, why are you asking? I'm doing this for Councillor Daidouji and her daughter, not for _you_."

"Oh, I know," the other man said, smiling. "But I have orders too, remember? We've talked about that..."

"So why don't your magical friends watch her on their own, if they're so powerful?"

"Ah, but they _are_ watching her. Through me," Flowright explained. "Why don't you just give me some news? She keeps giving you letters for her friend, after all. You see her pretty often."

"She's fine," Kurogane muttered.

"That's all you're going to say? How boring..."

"That's all I_ know_. I'm not following her around. I've got more important things to do."

"Sakura _is_ important, you know," the Councillor told him cheerfully. "Much more than you can imagine."

"Then why don't _you_ do something about her?" Kurogane snapped. Flowright just grinned at him.

"Oh, I will," he said. "The day you don't tell me she's fine."

"That's ridiculous," the general told him. "If you're going to help her, you can't just sit around and wait until it's too late. And whatever she's doing has a lot more to do with you than with me, if it's really magic."

"But I _can't_ do anything. Not yet," said Flowright. "There are things she has to do on her own. With outside help, they won't mean anything."

"Why not? Is that one of the rules of magic or something?"

"Pretty much, yes."

"Well, it's stupid."

"Never said it wasn't," the Councillor replied, still smiling as usual, before he left.

o O o

"Now, just a litte more..." Kero told her. "Yes, that's it! Hold it right _there_!"

Sakura focused, trying to do as he said. Wood was more difficult to manage than she had expected. She had made the Card grow, all right. Now the problem was making it _stop_. Almost all of the storehouse was covered in leafy branches. As much as she tried to concentrate, it was no use; the trees kept growing and growing.

"I – I can't!" she stuttered. "Maybe I should just deactivate it..."

"No," Yue insisted. "Don't give up now. You almost have it."

"All right," she muttered, "just a little bit more..."

One of the branches hit her ankle, making her stumble and fall. She lost focus and Wood returned to her Card form. Shaoran stepped closer to her, trying to look at her foot.

"Are you all right? Did you twist it?"

"I'm okay," she assured him. "I'm not hurt. I just lost balance. I guess it was running out of places to grow..."

"That was because you made such a great effort to activate it," Kero explained. "Finding the right amount of magic is harder than it seems; you'll only manage it through practice. You needed a lot of your strength to make the Card work, and it turned out to be _too much_; that's why you couldn't stop it. But it wasn't bad at all for the first time.."

"It has nothing to do with strength," said Yue. "Not this time."

Sakura looked up at him, confused.

"What do you mean?" she asked. "I have to control that, somehow... I have to learn how to measure my own power."

"Of course you have to. And with other Cards, that would be the right thing to do. But it's much simpler with Wood. You only need to tell her what you want her to do. Otherwise she'll never know when to stop."

"Really? That's all?" she said, both surprised and relieved. Kero frowned as he looked at the other Guardian.

"How do you know all that? It's news to _me_," he said.

"I'm not sure," Yue admitted. "I keep remembering bits and pieces, as if I had always known them. Doesn't the same thing happen to you?" he added, looking sideways at Kero. The lion nodded.

"Yeah. It's the same for me," he said. "But it doesn't happen with all of the Cards. I didn't remember anything about this one."

"Perhaps Clow split the knowledge between us," muttered Yue, thoughtful. "I think... I think Wood might be under my rule."

"But then," Shaoran intervened, "that means you two always have to be together, right? At least until you teach Sakura what she needs to know..."

"Why _wouldn't_ we be together, kid?" Kero grumbled. "We're not going to leave her stranded. We probably won't even leave this stupid storehouse anytime soon."

"Don't say that!" Sakura exclaimed, horrified. "That's a horrible thing to say! You sound... you sound almost like you're _trapped_ here. I don't want you to feel that way. Please."

Both Guardians turned to stare at her, shocked. For a few moments, there was silence – even Mokona was quiet – and then Yue's face softened.

"That isn't what Cerberus meant," he assured her. "We need to stay here because it's the safest thing to do, not because we think you are forcing us."

"That's right. It's the best plan," said Kero, nuzzling up to her. "We can't just go out there and draw attention to ourselves, right? At least not yet."

Sakura nodded and made an effort to smile at him, as she scratched his ears.

"All right," he said. "It's just... I think of all the time you've spent locked in..."

"Then don't think about that," said Yue, and his voice was cold again.

"He's right. We have to think about the present," Shaoran said, trying to change the subject. "I know you're not going to leave her," he added with a pointed look at Kero, "but it's still important to remember you've got to stay together. What if someone else tries to separate you? There might be enemies out there –"

"Then we beat them up," Kero said. "Big deal."

"Nobody knows we are here, anyway,"added Yue. "Not even _ourselves_ knew about this plan before we came here."

"I know, but... you can never be too careful," the boy insisted. "Just like Clow arranged things to help Sakura, someone else might be plotting against us. Think about it – in only a few months I've learned about a lot of powerful people I thought didn't even _exist_ anymore. Who's to say there aren't more?"

"He has a good point," Sakura agreed. "Even if I don't like to think about it... it's true that we have to be prepared. What if anyone tries to hurt you? Are you sure you're going to be all right?"

"We know how to fight," said Yue. Kero nodded, and then he grinned.

"Let me show you something, Sakura."

He moved a few steps away from them, stretched his wings, and took off. After an elaborate pirouette that earned him a roll of Yue's eyes and a muttered "show-off" from Shaoran, he opened his mouth as if to roar, and directed a ball of fire at one of the shelves. With one swift jump, Yue approached the place and cast a bunch of ice crystals that kept the fire in control.

"Are you trying to burn the whole place down, Cerberus?"

"Nah. I knew you'd stop it," the lion said, as he stood on the ground once again. "And I gave you an excuse to show _your_ cool powers. Don't tell me you didn't enjoy that."

"It was really _really_ cool!" Mokona agreed, jumping on top of Kero's head. "Do it again!"

"Aaah... maybe not _inside_," Sakura said. "But Mokona is right, it was impressive! I'm sure you'll be okay."

"Yeah," admitted Shaoran, who looked just as awed as the little droid. "You're both really powerful... I guess we shouldn't worry about you, then."

"No," said Yue. "We can take care of ourselves. Besides, it's very improbable that someone will try to attack us in the first place."

"I know. But still, I'm glad to know you won't get in trouble," Sakura told him, smiling at him. "And now that I don't have to think about that anymore, I should give Wood another chance, don't you think?"

o O o

"... and then I had to spend _the whole afternoon_ cleaning the mess they'd made!" Kimihiro exclaimed, finishing his long speech with an appropriately outraged expression. "Can you believe that? When she hired me, she said I'd be her assistant, not her slave! She should just get a droid to do the dirty work. I bet there are laws against the way she treats me."

"Ah, I wouldn't count on that," said Clow, who somehow managed to look sympathetic and amused at the same time. "Yuuko is a very intelligent woman."

"And what does that have to do with anything?"

"I think she is making you work until it is _almost_ illegal," he explaned. "That way, no one can say she's doing anything wrong."

Kimihiro grimaced. That did sound exactly like something she'd do.

"I bet she is," he muttered. "But it's still wrong! I'm just a regular schoolboy, not a housekeeping android. She shouldn't exploit me like that."

"Do you really think so?" Clow said softly. He looked very thoughtful, so much that the boy lost track of the conversation. He was sure that his friend couldn't mean Yuuko had a right to exploit him...

"Think _what_?" he asked.

"That you are a regular schoolboy," he replied. "It might be hard to believe, I understand that... But you are more important than you think."

Kimihiro snorted, and only realized he was being rude when it was too late.

"How can I be _important_?" he asked. "I don't have any real talents – well, I'm pretty good at cooking and cleaning, but that's not going to help win the war. And Yuuko keeps talking about my 'powers' but the truth is, they're only just trouble. Just because I know you and her doesn't mean _I_ am important."

"Of course you are," Clow assured him. "Everyone is, in a way... every single person is necessary in the world. But still, that was not what I meant. You _are_ important, child, you are very special. Even if you cannot see it right now."

There was a moment of silence. Kimihiro looked thoughtfully at his friend, who was smiling with a little too much amusement, and at last he sighed.

"Well, I suppose you're right, somehow," he admitted. "I mean, you're always right and stuff. But I just can't imagine what could I do... and you're not going to tell me, are you?"

Clow grinned at him, amused.

"Most certainly not. You are getting very perceptive, Kimihiro," he laughed. "But there are some things that you have to discover for yourself... and there are some things that Yuuko should tell you, not I. And she would never forgive me if I took her place."

"So you're just going to change the subject like that?" Kimihiro muttered, giving him a pointed look. Clow just smiled at him yet _again_. It was starting to get just the tiniest bit annoying, and the boy couldn't help but feel that this man could have even topped Yuuko's ability to get him worked up if he'd been in a happier situation... but that was quickly leading into Very Depressing Territory once more, so he supposed it was better to ignore it. He was going to offer his friend another slice of cake when he spoke once more, distracting him.

"Ah, look," he said, pointing at the usual screen. "You really should see that. She's about to do something quite impressive."

"Who? Sakura?" asked Kimihiro, getting closer to the wall so he could watch properly. "What's that thing she's waving around?"

"Her magical staff, of course," Clow explained. "But that isn't the important part. Just watch."

Kimihiro didn't reply. He had a lot more questions, but it was obvious that this was not the time. So he just focused on the girl's strange movements – it looked like cheerleading, in a way – and waited for something interesting to happen.

And then a green woman appeared out of nowhere and started growing _branches_.

"_What?_" he gasped. "I mean – what – how did she...?"

"She's learned to control Wood," said Clow, smiling to Mokona, who was perched on his shoulder and clapped with enthusiasm. "It seems that she will be on time, after all..."

"On time for what?" the boy asked. "And aren't you going to explain why _that woman just turned into a tree_?"

"It's one of the Cards," Clow explained. "I've told you about them, remember? Sakura's doing such a good job... It's been a very short time so far, but she's already learning to control them. When help comes, she'll be ready. That is what I meant."

"Oh... so there _is_ going to be help! I can't believe you're giving me good news for a change," Kimihiro chuckled. His friend looked a little sad, but smiled nonetheless.

"Yes," he said softly, "she will receive more help. I... I made sure of that."

His voice wavered a bit as he finished speaking. It was barely noticeable, but enough to catch the boy's attention. He turned to look at him, concerned.

"Are you all right?" he asked. "Actually, you're a little pale..."

"It's nothing," Clow assured him. "Please don't worry, Kimihiro. I will be all right."

But Kimihiro wouldn't give in. He walked towards him to get a closer look, and he didn't like what he saw one bit. He _was_ pale. And he probably had a fever, too.

"You're ill, aren't you? The rumours are true after all," he said. "You should be seeing a doctor or something. But if everyone's gone..."

"There was no doctor," Clow muttered. "Just a machine. But it's broken, now. Ever since the first bombing."

"And you haven't _said_ anything? That's terrible! Someone should repair it!"

"No," said Clow, suddenly a lot firmer. "There is no point. It didn't help."

"But..."

"I will be all right, Kimihiro," he repeated. "I promise."

Kimihiro gave him a very stern look, but he seemed sincere. There was nothing the boy could do, no more than maybe bring him some tea and make sure he wasn't too cold. If the rumours _were_ true... if it was like that, then he was just too old, and no amount of help would make a difference.

"All right," he sighed. "But be careful. You have to eat well and stay warm! And you should have _proper_ rest, too, instead of just sitting here all day. You should be in bed."

"Ah, but... that would be too boring, don't you think?" his friend said with a grin. In any case, he'd managed to cheer up a little bit; he seemed to be amused at Kimihiro's behaviour. "At least here I can watch things."

The boy wasn't too convinced by this, but he also could tell that there was no point in arguing. He grumbled a bit under his breath, then sighed.

"Fine," he said at last. "But be careful."

"I promise," Clow said, and he smiled.


	14. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

Sakura couldn't help but sigh as she slumped onto her bed, exhausted. Weeks passed by very quickly, and even though she was having a certain amount of success with the Cards, she still had a lot of work to do. She had only learned to use about half of them so far and, if the Guardians' hints meant what she thought they did, they were saving the most difficult ones to control for last. They avoided the subject (very clumsily, she noticed) whenever she or Shaoran mentioned one of the elemental Cards, and she didn't need their explanations to tell that Dark and Light were a lot stronger than the rest; she could even feel it when she touched them, a hint of warmth and power in her hands.

But she wasn't ready for them, not yet. She didn't even want to think about it today – she'd had enough trouble with Thunder that afternoon. She'd managed to control it at last, but it was in a bad mood after such a long time without exercise. It was no wonder she was so tired.

Her father was beginning to notice things, too. He asked her if she was feeling well as soon as he came home; Sakura wasn't sure that he'd believed her story about extra practice with the cheerleading club, but he hadn't said anything. There was such a worried look in his eyes, though... She wished she could tell him all the truth, but she didn't dare. This whole thing about magic had been kept a secret for over two hundred years, after all. She was sure that there was a good reason for that and, besides, she didn't want to get him involved in anything dangerous. It was different with Shaoran and Tomoyo, as a descendant from a heavily magical family and a Councillor's daughter and granddaughter; they were going to be a part of this mess whether they knew about her magic or not. But her father had no reason to be involved in this. The closest thing he'd done to it was study a bit about Clow, and he had no idea that he was the Seer or a wizard at all.

He hadn't even asked about the book again. It was a strange thought, and one that always made her a bit uncomfortable. She was sure that one day he'd ask her if she'd seen it, and then she'd forget all the speeches she had prepared for that moment... But she didn't want to think about that, not now. She was too tired to think at all. And the bed was so comfortable...

"Sakura! Dinner is ready!"

She rolled on her side and instinctively covered her head with her pillow, not quite awake yet. Suddenly she felt a hand on her shoulder and jumped up, startled.

"... what? What is it?"

"You fell asleep," her father said, with a concerned look. "Sakura, are you all right? You've been far too tired lately. Are you ill?"

"I'm fine, really," she told him, sitting up as quickly as she could. "Please don't worry..."

He looked as if he was going to tell her something, but then he just smiled – still a little nervous, she could tell, although he didn't mention it – and put a hand on top of her head, as he used to do when she was little.

"I won't ask you to tell me anything that you need to keep private, Sakura," he said. "But promise me one thing. If there is anything I can do for you, even if it's very small, let me know, will you?"

She stared at him for a moment, at a loss for words. She _knew_ she'd forget what she had planned to say... but it didn't matter anymore, she thought. All she did was smile at him.

"I promise," she assured him. "But please don't worry. I have a lot of help."

"All right," he said, obviously relieved. "Come on, then, let's have dinner. I'll make you your favourite dessert. I think you need the energy from all those calories," he teased her.

Sakura stuck at his tongue at him, but hearing him joke made her feel just as relieved as he was.

o O o

It was a bit late already, but Kimihiro didn't want to go home without passing by to visit Clow. The last few days had been quite bad for everyone, there were angry spirits all over the city, and Yuuko had practically made him swear he wouldn't be wondering on the streets. He rushed from his job to the high-security wing, then rushed home before it got dark. But the streets were a mess today, and he was taking more than usual to get there. It made him nervous, for some reason. He had a nagging feeling that his friend needed him there.

As much as he had dreaded it, he turned out to be right. At first he thought Clow was in a trance again, sprawled on the floor as he was, his face pale and sweaty. But when he rushed to his side, he discovered that he had a fever. Mokona snuggled next to the man's chest, worried, and he opened his eyes a little.

"Kimihiro..."

"Are you all right?" he asked, trying to sound as calm as possible. "Do you want me to help you stand up? You should be in bed – "

"No," Clow interrupted him. "Wait. Stay..."

Kimihiro bit his lip.

"But you shouldn't just lay here on the floor!" he exclaimed. "You need help... I should get a doctor, but – no," he said, suddenly realizing what he had to do. "I have to find Yuuko."

"Stay," his friend repeated, almost pleaded. But that wasn't right.

"Let me get Yuuko," he repeated. "_Please_. I'm sure she can help you."

"Don't leave me," Clow insisted, grabbing Kimihiro's wrist with all the strength he could gather. "Don't leave me. Please. Please don't leave me."

"Listen," the boy urged him, "I can't do anything for you if I stay. I can't. Just let me go and get her – you know, just let me phone her, there's a phone boot really near. I'll be back in no time."

"Don't leave me!" Clow exclaimed. "Everybody leaves me. Don't leave me, stay, please stay –"

"I'm coming back," Kimihiro promised him, nearly choking on his own words. He had never seen him like this, not even in his worst trances. "I promise you that I'll be back very soon. Just give me five minutes to make that call, will you? Only five minutes and I'll run back here."

"You won't come back," he replied, his voice hoarse and broken. "Not this time. She will send you home and you will have to do as she says."

Kimihiro stared at him for a moment, confused. It was bad news, yes, but on the other hand it was good to hear him speak in proper sentences again. The last few minutes had had him quite worried.

"I'm sorry," he said, trying to sound soothing, "but I'm sure she can help you. You have a fever, and..."

"She can't do any more than you can," Clow told him. Kimihiro shook his head.

"I really have to call her," he insisted. "If she doesn't let me come back tonight, I'll see you tomorrow. I promise."

Slowly, very slowly, Clow loosened his grip on his wrist.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. "I'm sorry. I don't know why I did that. I should – I should have known I can't keep you here."

"It's all right, really... Look, I'll leave Mokona with you," he added, hoping that would be enough to calm him a little.

"No." Clow's voice was hard now, almost cold. "I should have known. I saw you going and I saw her coming and I tried to stop it. I shouldn't have tried. I should have learned by now."

Kimihiro didn't know what to reply to that. So, in the end, he just settled for something sensible.

"I will go to call her now," he said. "And I _will_ be back – tonight or tomorrow, I don't know, but I'll be back. You just lay here and don't try to stand up or anything, all right?"

Clow nodded sadly. Kimihiro smiled at him one last time, patted his hand, and ran to the phone boot with Mokona perched on his shoulder.

He didn't have to go very far. He had almost arrived to the phone boot, but he was still running when he nearly bumped into Yuuko as he turned a corner. He wasn't even surprised by that.

"Yuuko..." he panted, exhausted. "You have to help him... he's..."

"I know," she said. Her expression was unreadable, cold and hard. "Go home, Watanuki. I'll take care of everything."

"He told me you would say that," Kimihiro muttered. "Do I _have_ to? I mean, he really didn't want me to go - "

"Go home," Yuuko repeated. "Take Mokona with you."

"Fine," he sighed. "But I'll come to see him tomorrow, then."

Yuuko didn't answer.

o O o

Yuuko knew exactly what she was going to find, and in this case that was a blessing, the only thing that prevented her heart from shattering when she saw him; her Sight had broken it long ago. He was but a shadow of what he had once been, a man so strong, so full of life and of magic. Now he was too old, too tired, too lonely.

She found him lying face down on the floor, pale as death, his dark hair sprawled around his face. She could tell that he was still strong in a way, if that room itself hadn't destroyed him yet, if he had made it this far after surrounding himself with chains and poison. But it was finally breaking him now. She should have come sooner, she told herself, she should have forgotten about his mad words and come to save him.

He didn't look at her when she helped him sit up, or while she led him to his bed. Neither of them said a word. Only when he was safely lying on his bed, breathing slowly now, did he open his eyes and look up at her, with a brave effort to smile.

"You never keep your promises," he whispered. His voice was broken too, so different from what she remembered.

"I've kept it long enough," she replied. "It was a stupid promise, anyway."

She sat down beside him, smiling, and softly took some wisps of hair off his face. With a sigh, he closed his eyes.

"I didn't want you to see me like this."

"You vain thing," she told him. "You haven't changed a bit."

"Don't lie, Yuuko," he muttered. "I'm broken inside and out. Do you think I can't tell?"

"You are still Clow," she whispered. "You are my dearest friend, and I waited all this time only because you would need me."

"It was for Sakura," he said, shaking his head. "For the world."

"For you, silly," she told him, and she kissed the tip of his fingers. He finally opened his eyes again.

"I've missed you," he whispered, and his voice cracked. "I've tried so hard to forget everything, to close my heart and turn it into ice..."

"You could never do that," she said softly.

"No," he admitted, looking away. "I wish I had. It hurts."

Yuuko sighed. She caressed his forehead lightly, smiling. He still didn't meet her eyes.

"Don't say that," she told him. "It was a good thing. You've made friends, even here."

He clasped his hand around hers, shaking his head violently, and shut his eyes tight. It looked as if he was going to break down and cry any moment now, and Yuuko didn't know if she could take that. She caressed his hand, again and again, but it didn't seem to soothe him.

"I couldn't save Touya. I couldn't save Kaho. I broke my own Guardians' hearts," he croaked. "I never helped anyone."

"Clow..."

"My whole life was a waste –"

"You are helping Watanuki," Yuuko interrupted him. "And you are helping Sakura."

"They don't need me," he whispered. "Not really. Even without us, they would have found a way."

"But we are making things easier for them," she insisted. "Don't think you haven't made a difference."

"There was nothing I could change..."

"There is still something," Yuuko said; a sudden idea had sparked in her mind. Clow turned around and looked up at her, confused. "You still haven't given it to him, have you?"

Instinctively, Clow raised his free hand to grab the small key that he wore on a chain around his neck. He took it off, but he soon brought it close to his heart again, his eyes widening.

"I have to," he said. "There is no other way."

"Of course there is," she said. He closed his hand even tighter around it, breathing quickly.

"I've seen it!"

"And you can change that," Yuuko said slowly. He shook his head, but she continued speaking. "He was supposed to pass it on to its true owner. But _I_ can do that for him."

"No..."

"The result will be the same," she interrupted, "but it will be better for Watanuki. He isn't ready for this. Not yet."

"I know he's not," Clow whispered. "I never meant to hurt him, Yuuko, never."

"You don't have to," she said, smiling at him, and ran a hand through his hair. "Give it to me instead."

"I can't." His voice was shaking, and his knuckles had turned white against the key. Yuuko took his hand in hers, but he didn't move.

"This is your chance, Clow. You can do this. You can change what you've seen."

"It wouldn't mean anything," he said, still trying to convince himself. "It's like you said, Yuuko. It's the same."

"Not for you," she said. "Please, give it to me."

He didn't answer, but he didn't move either. His eyes were fixed on hers now, desperate, frightened.

"Help me," he whispered.

Yuuko caressed his hand lightly, slowly, running her fingers over his until his grip began to soften. She finally managed to make his hand open a little, just a tiny bit – and then he let go of the key and jerked his arm away, quick and violent. She put the key away before he could change his mind.

"Thank you," he said, slumping down into the pillows, and now there _were_ tears streaming down his pale face. "Thank you..."

"I told you you could do it," she said softly, wiping his tears with her thumb. He took her hand again, keeping it close to his cheek.

"Please stay with me," he asked her. "Just until I fall asleep."

"Won't you want to say goodbye?" she asked. He frowned.

"I've said enough goodbyes already," he said. "Be a dream for me, Yuuko, a beautiful dream."

"I will," she promised, and the only reason why she smiled was so she wouldn't cry. Clow closed his eyes again, letting himself slowly drift into sleep.

"We could have been great together," he whispered. "We could have changed the world."

"We did," she told him, and kissed his fevered lips one last time.


	15. Chapter 14

**Author's note:** As usual, sorry for the wait. I had a last-minute rearranging of plans in this chapter. The plot thickens!

* * *

**Chapter 14**

"I don't think that's a good idea."

"But you don't have anything helpful to say, do you?" Kero grumbled. Yue didn't seem to mind. He continued with his arms crossed and the same unreadable expression, looking at Shaoran in the eye. Sakura shifted her weight from one foot to the other.

"I know it's going to be very difficult," she admitted. "But I also think Shaoran is right. I really should give it a try, don't you think?"

"You are not ready yet," Yue insisted. "You will, eventually, need to use this Card. I would not argue that. But this is not the right moment yet."

"If she's going to have to do magic in front of other peple," Shaoran said for the umpteenth time, "then she needs to learn how to use Illusion. _Soon_."

"We don't know when I might need it," she added. "Maybe I still have weeks to practice, who knows, but maybe I'll have to do something in public soon! It doesn't hurt to try, does it, Yue? You told me this isn't one of the dangerous Cards... I wouldn't hurt anyone if I get it wrong."

"She's got a point about that, you know," Kero intervened. "I mean, you're right, I'm not sure she'll be able to handle it yet. And Illusion is under Yue, so he _is_ the expert about it," he added, turning to Sakura, "even if he's a very nasty expert. But it's not a bad idea to give it a try. What's the worst that can happen?"

The Moon Guardian didn't answer for a moment. Then he nodded, although he still didn't look too pleased.

"All right," he said. "But don't be disappointed if it doesn't work. Illusion is quite dfficult to handle. Creating a whole scene, or hiding yourself from other people's view, is out of the question for now. You should start with something simple."

"All right!" Sakura exclaimed, already in a better mood. "What do you think I should try to do?"

Yue considered it for a few seconds, looking around as if he was trying to get ideas from his surroundings. At last he grabbed Mokona by the ears and lifted the tiny droid until he was eye level with Sakura.

"Change Mokona's colour," he said, blunt as always.

Everyone stared at him. Except Mokona, who cheered.

"Are... are you sure? Is it safe to use it on a droid?"

"You plan to use it on yourself, don't you?"

"You're right," Sakura muttered, holding her staff close to her chest. "I suppose if Mokona doesn't mind..."

"Mokona wants to be neon green!"

"It looks like it's all decided, then," said Yue. He let go of the droid, who bounced on the floor and onto Sakura's arms.

"Oooh! Or _orange_! With blue ears!"

"Uh... I'll see what I can do, all right?" she promised, suddenly embarrassed. Mokona didn't seem to mind.

"Bright purple with yellow stripes!" he chanted.

"Now_ I'm_ not sure that this is such a good idea," Shaoran sighed.

But Mokona's silliness didn't bother Sakura at all; on the other hand, she could tell that her friend was simply trying to be encouraging. The fact that he annoyed everyone else while he pretended to be so childish seemed to be an added bonus for him.

"... fuchsia olive turquoooise!"

"Oh, _shut up_!" Kero interrupted, irritated. "If you don't let her work you'll stay white and boring. And if you don't stop bothering me I'm gonna eat you whole!"

"Kero!"

"Just kidding!" he defended himself, now grinning as if nothing had happened. "Hey, he's not even worried or anything. Look."

True enough, Mokona simply stuck his tongue out at the Guardian, completely unconcerned. Sakura sighed.

"Just let me try this, will you? Pick only _one_ colour first."

They droid only took a second to think about it.

"Bright yellow!" he cheered. Sakura nodded and clutched her staff.

"All right, then... _Illusion_!"

There was a flash of light, and then a yellow Mokona stood before them, clapping. Sakura was about to cheer in celebration, but ended up grimacing instead.

"Awww," she sighed. "I missed the ears, look..."

Yue approached them to get a closer look at the tiny droid. He frowned a little.

"I figured you weren't ready yet," he said. Then he added, almost with an effort, "But it wasn't bad at all for someone with so little practice. You only need a few more days, and then –"

"_Really_?" Sakura asked, excited. A compliment from the Moon Guardian wasn't something to take lightly. "Do you really think I'm getting better?"

Yue stared at her as if she had just said the most obvious thing in the world.

"If you weren't doing any progress we would have told you to try harder," he said. Kero rolled his eyes and grinned at her.

"That's the best you'll get from him," he laughed. "Seriously, you're doing great. You just need a bit more time to get things right, that's all."

"I'm glad you think so," she told them, smiling. "I'm truly giving my best effort. I want to help."

"You'll be just fine," the Sun Guardian assured her. "But Yue has a point – you'd better save Illusion for later. Try to get a bit more practice with Shield, that one's useful too."

"Okay! I'll do my very best!" she exclaimed, and set herself to work yet one more time.

**o O o**

Kimihiro left his job early that day. He didn't have to ask, and Yuuko didn't say anything about it either; she simply told him to go before he could even suggest it. She hadn't said a word about the previous night, and even though he was curious he didn't dare to bring up the subject. A straight answer from her would have been too much to ask, anyway, so he contented himself with what he had and hurried towards the high-security wing.

He almost dreaded to enter, fearing what he would find inside, but he discovered he shouldn't have worried so much. Clow wasn't sitting on his usual armchair; he had remained in bed, in a room that Kimihiro had rarely seen before. He smiled as he saw the boy enter and petted Mokona when the little droid snuggled under the covers with him. Kimihiro smiled, relieved.

"Are you feeling better today?" he asked cheerfully. His friend certainly didn't _look_ as bad as the last time they'd seen each other, although he was still very pale.

"I am," his friend said softly. "Thank you, Kimihiro."

"... for what?" he replied, and he blinked. Clow chuckled.

"You never even notice, do you?" he asked him. "You were very kind to me, last night."

"Don't say those things," Kimihiro muttered. He felt as if he was starting to blush, and that made him even more embarrassed. "It's nothing. I just did what I had to do."

"It was still kind," said Clow. He was still petting Mokona, and he seemed to be content, but his eyes looked a little distant. Suddenly Kimihiro didn't feel so sure that he was all right anymore. Something about him was... off.

"You know, I – if you don't mind me asking..." he stuttered. "Are you very ill? I mean, I know you're better than last night, but – um. I just wanted to ask you. Well."

"How bad it is?" the man said mildly. Kimihiro nodded, blushing. "It's nothing you should worry about, child. It won't get any worse."

"Honest?" he insisted. Clow turned to look at him in the eye, and he seemed a little surprised at his concern; but then he smiled.

"I promise," he replied.

It was hard to believe it, given what had happened the previous day. But Kimihiro could tell that he was telling the truth. He didn't press the subjet; it made them both uncomfortable, and he was here to cheer him up, after all. At least as much as he could. They didn't talk about anything serious or important that afternoon. They just ate the cake he had brought, laughed at Mokona's jokes, and chatted about silly things like Kimihiro's annoying classmates. It was one of the best times they had had so far.

It was already evening when Kimihiro had to leave. He had an odd feeling about that; he didn't really _want_ to go. But he had no choice. He'd have to hurry, or else those stupid spirits on the street would get too difficult to manage, even with Mokona near him. His friend wouldn't have him take any risks, and insisted on sending him home.

He was almost out of the room when Clow stopped him.

"Kimihiro – I –" He trailed off, as if he wasn't sure of what he wanted to tell him. He looked pale all of a sudden, and there was a sadness in his eyes that was more than a little worrying.

"What is it?" the boy asked, upset by this unexpected change.

"Tomorrow... " Clow began, and then closed his eyes for a moment. At last he looked up again, much more composed now. "Stay at Yuuko's house tomorrow, after work. Please don't wander on the streets."

That was it, then. Kimihiro understood his expression now. He must have seen something terrible. From the way he said it, it sounded as if there was going to be another attack the next day. It was bad news, but he smiled, trying to look as cheerful as possible.

"I promise," he told him. "See you soon."

Clow only smiled back at him.

**o O o**

The city looked like a web of lights, bright gold on the planet's dark surface. There were some black patches here and there, wherever the bombings had successfully hit their targets. Fei Wang Reed turned away from the screen and smiled. Tomorrow, a brand new group of dark spots would cover the golden net.

There was a particular one that he expected to see. It had taken them far too long to reach this moment. The Shield itself had been too strong, lasting for almost two centuries nearly unscathed – as always, that man's work kept getting on his way – and even now, the city was still relatively well protected. The building he was trying to get through had an especially strong field. But it was almost down now; it was almost over. One more day, and the very last obstacle would be removed.

This time it would be definitive. He had needed to keep pretenses in the beginning, to make sure he had people's trust; but that had all become unnecessary long ago. Just as he had expected, they had all forgotten about him by now. For decades and decades, only the Shield had stood between him and his target.

It seemed almost meaningless, in the large scale. He knew better than anyone that the position was nothing but an elaborate fake, that the planet wouldn't be losing anything but an illusion. Still, what people thought about their own safety was always important in a war, and fear could be helpful for him. Just the fact that they _thought_ they weren't as safe as before would be enough to cause panic, and it might buy him some time for a few more carefully planned attacks until they managed to reorganize themselves.

But he wasn't doing this because it was important for his strategy. He was doing it for himself. He had waited many, many years to see that building fall – to see _him_ fall. And now the wait was almost over.

Tomorrow, he told himself. There was no reason to rush things when everything was going so well. No, he'd rather not take any risks at all. He had waited too long for this moment to let his impatience get the better of him.

Tomorrow, then. Tomorrow he would see him die.


	16. Chapter 15

**Author's notes:** Well, here I am again, slow but steady! Thanks a lot for reading, and for all the patience.

* * *

**Chapter 15**

For the first time in all those years, Clow could actually hear the bombs that fell around the high-security wing. This was further proof that the protection around the building was almost completely lost by that point; even sounds could pass through the now regular walls, something they had never done before. And still, he was used to those noises, even if he had never heard them physically. They had haunted his nightmares year after year. The reality wasn't much more upsetting than that. He had always known this moment would come, and now that it was finally here, it was almost a relief.

He wasn't frightened, or sad. He wasn't even angry. Only a bit impatient, perhaps; all he could do was wait. He was so tired of waiting.

He rolled on his side, trying very hard not to stare at the ceiling; it was the best he could do about it, since he felt much too weak to leave his bed. Not that it would have been much help, he knew that. For all he knew, moving might even make things worse... but no, he didn't want to think about that.

There were so many _good_ things he could be thinking about, instead. That was something else he had planned – he'd had plenty of time for planning – and he wasn't going to waste precious minutes with dark thoughts when he could be filling them with warmth.

He hadn't lost. That was the most important thing of all. No matter how things looked like right now, he knew he hadn't lost. He had seen it; he had made sure of that. All of his plans were already set in motion. There were many people doing their best, and he knew they would succeed. Everything would be all right, and it didn't matter if he wasn't there to see it happen. He realized, with a bit of confusion, that it made him happy.

Yuuko was right, he mused. He had never managed to grow entirely cold. There had been so many people he had loved, even to the very end – some of them had even loved _him_. He thought of Touya, so dear to him even at a distance, so close to being saved. Kaho had been there, too, offering him her friendship against all hopes. Yuuko herself, after the long years they had spent together and the even longer time apart, had been there to comfort him in the end ... and her Kimihiro, of course, so kind and warm and full of love, who had brought him so much happiness. He thought of Cerberus and Yue, his precious companions for so many decades, his most beloved of all. He thought of Sakura, of all she could still achieve, and in spite of everything he couldn't help but smile.

And then, the ceiling cracked.

**o O o**

They both felt it the very moment it happened. A sudden jolt, and a moment of infinite sorrow, and then -

Emptiness.

The world was empty. Yue fell to his knees, dazed. Cerberus stood very, very still.

"What happened?" Sakura asked them, worried, as she ran to check on them. She put her arms around Yue, but he didn't react. "Are you all right? _What's wrong_?"

Cerberus slowly raised his head, looking at her with no expression in his golden eyes.

"He's gone."

"What? What do you mean?" she insisted. "You don't think..."

"Clow is dead," whispered Yue. Sakura clamped her hands on her mouth.

"But... he was in the high-security wing... they couldn't have attacked that place, they _couldn't_!"

Yue didn't answer. He simply stood up, freeing himself of her arms, and darted out of one of the high windows.

"Dammit,_wait_!" Cerberus yelled after him. "It's not safe out there!"

"We have to follow him," Sakura told him, ignoring his surprised look. "I think I can hold Shield over us until we catch up with him."

The lion nodded.

"Come, then," he said, stretching out his wings, and now it was she who looked surprised. "You're not strong enough to use Fly and Shield at the same time yet. I'll take you. But _hurry_."

Sakura didn't waste time with words and jumped onto his back. A moment later, they were soaring over the city, trying to reach the white spot in the distance that was Yue.

**o O o**

Kimihiro knew what had happened long before the news had anything to say about it. He knew it before it even happened at all; right when the attack started, when the very first bomb fell on the city, he caught a glimpse of Yuuko's face and he _knew_.

Clow hadn't just wanted him out of the streets. He was making sure he wouldn't be there when –

No, he couldn't bring himself to even think about it. The thought made him feel ill. If only he'd known the truth, then...

... then what?

There wasn't really an answer, he supposed. He couldn't have done anything. And he'd done his best; he had nothing to feel bad about, no fights, no negligencies, nothing. He'd trully done his best. But somehow it still felt like not enough.

He didn't even know what to do with himself now. Yuuko was just _sitting_ there and staring at the screen, and Mokona was curled up against her, and he couldn't bring himself to talk to either of them. What could he possibly say? He wasn't even sure the words would come out at all.

As quietly as possible, Kimihiro slid out of the living room and into the kitchen. At least he should be useful, he told himself. Maybe if he was busy enough, he wouldn't really have to _think_ – but he only ended up throwing the whisk across the room, because what use were cakes now anyway, and then he sunk down on the floor and embraced his knees with his back pressed against the wall.

He barely noticed it when Maru and Moro came to sit next to him in silence, one at each side. They were as quiet as their mistress, with none of their usual cheer. Their empathy was oddly comforting. He knew he couldn't have dealt with singing and cheering right now.

He couldn't help but wonder what would he do next. He couldn't stay sitting like this forever, but he felt as if he'd never had the courage to face Yuuko again, after seeing her expression earlier. Or, to be precise, her _lack_ of expression. Yuuko wasn't one to show her sadness – but he knew her well enough to know it was there, to see the slight difference in her eyes. Even if it took something like this to make her give away her feelings...

No, he didn't want to think about it. He'd have to face her, eventually, but not now.

So he just sat there, without even looking up, and wished that all those troubles would go away on their own.

**o O o**

He opened his eyes.

At first, he couldn't quite make out his surroundings; all he could see was a blur of colours, dark and reddish. He was lying face up, somewhere warm and comfortable. A bed, he thought; it was called a bed. There were soft sheets covering him. He tried to move a little, feeling his limbs, wriggling his fingers and toes. Then he blinked a couple of times. He still couldn't see well.

Almost as a reflex, he stretched out his arm. There was a night table beside him, and on top of it he touched something cold – a pair of glasses, ready for him to wear. He put them on and blinked again. The world shifted into focus.

He was lying on a large bed with red curtains, half open. He could see the room outside of it. It looked rich and luxurious, and it interested him enough to make him stand up and go to explore it a little.

The place was full of things that he'd never seen before, and yet they looked vaguely familiar. There was comfortable looking furniture, a large, dark wooden desk, and deep red curtains closed over a window. He didn't open them. The world inside was large enough, for now; he still wasn't sure of why it wasn't more confusing.

Sprawled over a sofa, there was a set of clothes for him to put on when he changed from his night clothes. Somehow he could tell they would fit him perfectly. But he didn't put them on just yet. He walked around a little more, looking carefully at every little thing.

There was a mirror on one of the walls, and he couldn't help but stop to stare at it. He wasn't surprised by it – he knew what it was – but his reflection didn't quite seem to fit. He looked young, but he felt even _younger_. He stared at his blue eyes, his dark hair (why so short?) and traced the shape of his face, thoughtful.

_Eriol_, he mouthed. His name was Eriol.

How did he know that?


	17. Chapter 16

**Author's Note:** I'm very sorry about the delay! D: Thanks for your patience, and hopefully you won't have to wait this long for the next chapter...

* * *

**Chapter 16**

The city looked terrible from above. It seemed that the worst part of the bombing was over, but here and there she could still hear new explosions. Everything was covered in smoke and fire; most buildings were destroyed or about to crumble down any minute. Sakura closed her eyes, trying very hard to forget that her father and Shaoran were out there somewhere, and buried her face on the lion's neck. She couldn't afford to be distracted, not even by this. Shield _had_ to work. All the Cards had to.

Suddenly she felt Kero take a dive. He was flying down in spirals now. She dared to look again and tilted her head a little, but that didn't give her a real perspective of where they were. She would have to sit up and look around. With a great effort, she forced herself to do so.

The first thing she noticed was Yue. He had stopped flying at last, and he lay on a pile of debris. It took her a moment to realize that he seemed to be looking for something.

"Oh, no," Kero moaned, speeding up his descent. "Not like _that_."

But he didn't land next to Yue. He left Sakura on the other side of what had once been a wall.

"Stay here," he told her.

"Kero..."

"Don't you _dare_ come near us!" he insisted, before he took off to join the other Guardian.

Sakura nodded silently. She didn't want to imagine what they would find there. Kero had looked so frightening, for a moment, but in her heart she knew that he was just protecting her. He didn't want her to see anything.

She couldn't hold back her tears anymore. This was terrible, the worst possible outcome. They didn't even have a chance to say goodbye to him. And to know he'd died like that –

The murmur of people near her startled her out of her thoughts. A small crowd was starting to gather, now that they had begun to realize what had just happened. But she couldn't let them interfere, not yet... The Guardians deserved a moment of peace at the very least. Hoping she wasn't too noticeable, she ran towards a place where she could more or less hide.

"Please, Shield," she whispered, wiping her tears with the back of her hand. "I need a little more help. For them. Please."

She turned towards the Guardians and activated the Card. The transparent dome shone above their figures. There wasn't much she could see from her position. They were very close to each other, their wings spread out over themselves, as if still protecting their old master; but all she could see was a hint of dark robes, a wisp of black hair.

"Hey," she heard a voice from behind her. "Are _you_ casting that force field?"

Sakura turned around, startled, and clumsily tried to hide her staff. But then he recognized the man behind her. It was the General who had been taking her letters to Tomoyo. He looked firm, but not angry; and he didn't seem surprised by her magic, for some reason.

"I need to go up there," he said. "Turn it off."

Gathering all her courage, Sakura looked at him in the eye.

"They never said goodbye. They need some time with him," she said. "Just a few minutes. Please."

"Look, kid, I've got orders," he told her. "That's the Seer who just got killed. I need to recover his body."

"But..."

"The Council will see that he gets a proper funeral," he went on, looking at the Guardians instead of at her. "They can say their goodbyes then."

"They need some time alone," Sakura insisted.

The General turned to face her, arms crossed, and frowned. Then he shook his head, muttering something inintelligible.

"I'll go check on those survivors again," he said at last. "_Ten minutes_, all right?"

"Thank you," she whispered, and smiled.

**o O o**

The room kept him interested for a while, but it didn't take long for Eriol to get bored. There wasn't much to look at there. He finally took the time to change into the clothes he'd found prepared for him. This seemed to be necessary, although he wasn't sure of why. There was a nagging feeling at the back of his mind...

Ah, yes. Someone was coming to see him. He only needed to wait until that person arrived, and then he would know what to do. He could make all the questions he liked, then.

Except there was still something off. It took him a moment to realize that perhaps it had to do with the constant noise. It gave him a bad feeling. Curiously, he moved the dark red curtains aside and peered through the window.

He was very high, and all the buildings around his were quite tall, too. There were very few people on the streets down there. But he didn't pay much attention to that; he was looking up. He could see the ships from where he was: small black dots in the distance, zooming over the city. They were bombing.

Surely, no one would move until they left. It became clear to Eriol that, for the time being, he was going to stay alone. Who knew how long would it take until the attack ceased? He vaguely wondered if there was someone he cared about, down there in the streets. He couldn't_remember _anyone, but he still felt as if there should be worrying about someone. Perhaps he'd remember later. He felt a little groggy, as if he hadn't waken up completely yet. There were many thoughts struggling to be noticed, but he couldn't quite grasp them.

He needed to eat something. That was it. It would make him feel better. He had no trouble at all to recognize the device he needed to get food, or to make it work. He didn't even need to think about it.

This gave him an idea. There had to be many things he could figure out how to do, to pass the time until that mysterious person he was expecting was able to come. Besides, distracting himself might make those reluctant memories stop trying to hide so much. But what to do?

Suddenly, he smiled. A memory did come, vague and complex at the same time, and most of all very useful. Just because he was waiting for someone didn't mean he had to be alone until then.

He sat on the floor, waved a hand to bring a toolbox and some metal closer to him, and started working immediately.

**o O o**

Time was running out, and Sakura didn't know what to do. It seemed terribly cruel to tell Kero and Yue to leave, but she felt that waiting until the General returned would be even worse. The ten minutes he'd offered had already passed and, even though he had been very kind, he _would_ come back eventually and chances were it would be soon. He couldn't avoid doing his job for too long, or someone else was going to notice it. There were already too many people around, and as soon as the attack stopped completely it would get even worse. She didn't want them to be around when a multitude of people left the safety of their houses and came to see what was going on around here. It would hurt them even more.

But she couldn't go and fetch them herself. They didn't want her to see that, and she knew they had a good point... She was going to have to try something else. This hadn't really worked yet, but it was the best idea she had, and in any case it would be better than to just stand there waiting. She took a deep breath, made sure she was still concentrated on Shield, and called the other Card.

"_Mirror_!"

It was still strange to see the figure materialize in front of her, looking just like herself. But she didn't have time to wonder or to feel amazed. There was something urgent to do.

"I need your help, Mirror," she said. "Please tell them to come back. I know they'd like to stay a bit more, but it's going to be dangerous if we don't leave soon. Tell them I'm waiting for them down here, all right?"

Mirror nodded and ran towards them, hurrying to deliver the message. Sakura couldn't hear their words from where she was, but it was quite clear that they didn't like the plan. The Card insisted; Sakura was beginning to worry. This was taking longer than she had expected. Still, the most worrying of all was Yue's expression. Kero at least looked sad and angry and he was fighting back at poor Mirror, who had only tried to deliver a message. But Yue... Yue's face was blank. It was almost as if he wasn't there at all; as if he thought all of this was happening to someone else.

At last, it was Kero who seemed to convince him. All three of them approached her, much slower than she would have liked, and Mirror returned to her Card form as soon as the Guardians arrived at their mistress's side.

"I'm sorry," Sakura said, trying very hard not to cry, "but we really should go. It's dangerous."

Kero nodded silently; Yue didn't react at all. But there was no time to feel anxious about that. The bombing was finally stopping, and people were leaving the buildings to come and see the results of the explosion. From the corner of her eye, Sakura saw the General approaching quickly, obviously trying to get there in time to stop the curious. They had to leave _now_.

They didn't argue at all, and that was both worrying and relieving. At least they'd be able to reach the storehouse without trouble. Almost without thinking about it, Sakura cast Illusion around them, to protect them from people's prying eyes. It didn't take long until they reached their destination.

"What happened?" Mokona asked, jumping nervously towards them. "Are you all right? Where have you _been_?"

The poor thing looked truly distressed, so Sakura took him in her arms to soothe him – and herself, she had to admit that.

"We're all right," she whispered. "Please don't worry."

Suddenly she found herself thinking of all the other people she'd managed to keep in the back of her mind so far. Now that she had no urgent worries she couldn't help but thinking of Shaoran and her father. Shaoran should have stayed at home, but her father was at work, and if he'd been travelling... She bit back the tears and put the little droid down.

"Please stay here," she told them. "I really wish I didn't have to leave you alone, but – I need to find Dad, and –"

"It's all right," Kero said softly. "It's all right. Don't worry."

"Are you sure...?"

"We've got each other," he said. "We're not alone."

Sakura nodded, trying her best to hold back the tears. Kero had a point. And perhaps, even though she didn't like to think so, Yue would feel more comfortable if she _wasn't_ there. They would be all right, she told herself. They had to be all right.

"Okay," she said. "But I'll be here first thing tomorrow."

And with that she finally left the storehouse, without knowing if she should worry the most about those she was leaving behind or those she was trying to find.


End file.
